


Too Taboo To Be True

by BunnyBob



Series: Trying to Tie Loose Ends (Catharsis Continuation) [8]
Category: Coma Baby - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, sidlink - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Multi, Panic Attacks, Why do I do this to myself, sexual assult slight mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-18 14:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14215383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyBob/pseuds/BunnyBob
Summary: Prince Sidon had once said, “It’s our peoples’ belief that we all have one, single person whom we are meant to love and no more. Our stories and culture, everything that we are, reaffirms that. From the romantic notion of two individuals’ souls combining into one, to the dismissal of the barbaric, loveless mating rituals of our unevolved, lawless kin; it isn’t just a silly rule we invented to seem superior, but something at the very root of our ascension to a wise, civilized, divinely-blooded species.""And furthermore, what of the people who you supposedly love, when they learn that their own love was not enough to satisfy you?”Yet ironically, over a year later, he finds himself in a healthy polyamorous relationship with his Oracle Knight and the Hylian Champion. His love for the two of them is so great that it hurts to have to constantly hide it from the strictly monogamous Zora society, unable to enjoy their relationship to the fullest.But after Brivere gets hurt due to their secret, the prince decides that perhaps it is time that the three of them finally tell the truth.(A continuation of Infatuation, based on Coma Baby, but PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES)





	1. Together Through It All

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Coma Baby](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10493943) by [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/pseuds/BanishedOne). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES
> 
> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao. My beta reader @ipromiseitsnotanobsession on tumblr and ffnet gave me the title however, shoutout to alina you the bestttt

Brivere rolled over, quietly yawning as he blinked his heavy eyelids. They stung, desperately just wanting to stay shut, telling the golden knight that they were worn out by the rare bout of heavy crying he did the night before. Despite the sunlight that bathed the golden knight in its warmth and the blankets still snuggly wrapped around him, Brivere felt cold without Link or Sidon lying next to him. Both of them had already gotten up, sitting on the edge of the prince’s waterbed as they spoke in hushed tones.

Although they were still close to him, just sitting a few feet away from the golden knight, they were still too far away for his liking. Softly grunting, Brivere sat up and tried to blink away his sleepy daze, focusing his golden eyes onto his two lovers in front of him. Neither had apparently realized that he had woken up, engrossed in a quiet yet intense conversation.

“Sidon, seriously, you need to think of _all_ of the consequences.” Link quickly whispered.

The prince shook his head, looking slightly irritated. “I have, love!” he said in a low whine. “And I still think that it is best if we just come clean about all of this already. It is the only way for us to actually _enjoy_ our time together, don’t you wish for that as well?!”

“Yes, but-!”

Brivere awkwardly cleared his throat, making his bickering lovers snap their heads to look at him, both of them surprised that they hadn’t noticed him wake up. “My lord, Hylian Champion,” the golden knight said slowly. “What is the issue the two of you are discussing?”

Link and Sidon tore their eyes off of their shared lover and hesitantly looked at each other, a silent battle fought in the intense eye contact the held, storms of emotions ranging from confusion to anger flashing in their eyes. Finally, the prince sighed and waved his hand, allowing Link to speak for them, which he did after pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts.

“Well, Brivere,” Link grunted. “Sidon wants to make our relationship public. To all of the domain.”

Rarely was the stoic golden knight caught off guard, but the Hylian’s words struck him like a shock arrow. His lips pressed into a thin frown as his eyes widened for a split second before they narrowed at the prince. “No.” Brivere said firmly. “Absolutely not.”

Sidon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, tightly shutting his eyes. “I understand, Brivere, but I believe it is best if we reveal the truth of our relationship with one another so that we have nothing to hide anymore.”

Brivere weakly shook his head, already feeling exhausted despite just waking up a few moments ago from a good night's sleep. The three of them had finally come to a true understanding of each other last night, with Brivere sharing some of the deepest thoughts and insecurities that he had never told _anyone_ before. If he was honest with himself, that rare moment of emotional vulnerability left him just as winded as a whole day of merciless training in the barracks.

"Do you agree with him, Hylian Champion?" the golden knight asked as he turned to Link, who awkwardly fidgeted in place, completely out of character for the usually courageous warrior.

The Hylian ducked his head down, hesitantly glancing up only after a moment of tense silence between the three of them. "I... I'm more on the fence." Link said slowly, clearly trying not to pick a side. "I was just talking to Sidon, and yeah, I get what he's saying, but I also understand why you'd be against it."

A very unsophisticated grunt came from the prince. "It is not as if I do not understand as well." Sidon said, opening his eyes to stare at his golden knight. "But I do believe that the best choice is to come forward about our relationship with one another."

"And what reason is that?" Brivere asked, trying to hold onto his dwindling patience.

"What occurred with the nobleman, for one thing." Sidon scowled, venom stinging Leuqas' former title. "If we had been public about our relationship, then-!"

"I _thought_ we said that we cannot blame ourselves for his selfish actions." Brivere snapped, abruptly cutting the prince off, who stared back in shock. "Yes, what happened to me was horrible, and _perhaps_ telling everyone about the three of us would prevent further incidents. However, the consequences far outweigh the few benefits that will come out of revealing the truth of our relationship with one another."

The prince narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced. "I am aware that there will be backlash for our rather unorthodox relationship. But I truly believe the three of us can handle and survive it together."

Brivere felt heat rise in his chest, which was strange: the golden knight rarely ever got mad at his prince, who, in Brivere’s opinion, just didn’t get it. He understood where Sidon was coming from, but at the same time, Brivere couldn't fathom how his Zora lover could possibly think that this was a good idea. "With all due respect, my lord, you are looking over the reality of the situation in favor of an impossible fantasy." he said curtly.

"Do you not believe that the three of us are strong enough to get though it together?" Sidon said in an uneven tone, clearly feeling the same irritation that the golden knight was. "Or do you care more for appearances and reputation than your own lovers?!"

"That is _not_ what I am saying!"

"Then what _are_ you saying?!"

"You do not get it! We cannot just-!"

"GUYS!" Link shouted, diving in-between the two Zora, their chests heaving in anger. All three of them were silent, save for ragged breaths that echoed in the prince's large quarters.

"Look." Link said quietly, waiting for his lovers to calm down more before he continued. "It's ironic and stupid for us to be torn apart arguing over the three of us being together. This sort of relationship is unusual, sure, but what's definitely the same with traditional couples is that communication is important. And you two are completely sucking at that right now."

“…It is ironic that _you_ are the one to say that.” Brivere said after a moment of silence, clearly joking from the way a smile twitched on his taut lips, which threw his lovers off. The stern golden knight rarely had moments of casual humor like that. Still, Link roughly slugged him in the arm while Sidon rolled his eyes, making all three of them burst into fits of low laughter, unable to stay mad at each other. The two Zora’s eyes softened as they hesitantly held eye contact.

"I apologize, my lord." Brivere said, shifting to sit cross legged on the water bed and bow to the prince.

Sidon chuckled. "It is quite alright, only if you will forgive me as well, my sun."

Both of them nodded at each other, soft smiles replacing the scowls from earlier. Link snorted and clasped his hands together. "Alright! Now that that's settled, how about we talk it all out again?" he asked, raising his brow at his Zora lovers. "When you speak, don't attack the other person's side. Talk for yourself, and only _your_ feelings, so that we can understand your thought process. The other person can't interrupt either. Good?"

When the two Zora nodded, Link grinned. "Good! Let's start with Sidon then."

The prince jokingly bowed, as if performing for an audience, then straightened up as he cleared his throat. "As I said before, the incident with the nobleman... it could have been resolved earlier had we come forward about the nature of our relationship."

Reflexively, Brivere opened his mouth to refute the prince's statement, but a glare from Link cut him off. Saying nothing about it, the prince continued. "However, I am not saying that this is the _only_ reason. I have been meaning to talk to both of you about it for a while now, and what happened with the nobleman was just a wake-up call: this is something urgent that we _need_ to talk about."

Brivere and Link nodded. It wasn't as if the three of them hadn't discussed their future together before. However, those conversations were always short and simple, with Brivere and Sidon not agreeing and their Hylian having to step in as the mediator. However, this made sense, as Link was not a Zora and wouldn't be as effected as his Zora lovers should the three of them come out about their relationship with one another to the whole Zora Domain.

Still, the debates never got too deep. Usually, they were just brief discussions that got waved away as they quickly focused on something else. Quite honestly, the future seemed so far away that they found no real hurry to talk about it. Or rather, they were scared of how bleak and hopeless it seemed, but none of them would admit it to one another.

But the prince was making it perfectly clear that they couldn't put off the inevitable anymore.

Sidon sighed and looked at Brivere, his golden eyes softening. "It hurts to pretend, my sun. And I know Link feels the same way as well." he said in a weak voice different from his usually cheerful tone as the Hylian nodded in agreement. "The two of us are only public because we were dating before we had included you. But Brivere... you have no idea how much it pains us to act like we never did. We wish to be openly affectionate with you like traditional couples can. Link and I can't bring ourselves to do so anymore, because of how unfair it would be to you."

Brivere's throat tightened. Admittedly, it _was_ something that bothered him. He wanted nothing more than to hold Link's hand or lean his head on Sidon's arm whenever he wanted to, but he could never do it anywhere except for the prince’s quarters or the rare instances he was completely alone with either or both of his lovers. And even then, they couldn't really enjoy the fleeting moment anyways, always on edge and glancing around to make sure no one else could see what they were doing.

As much as he hated to admit it to himself, Brivere felt much better when Link and Sidon slowly stopped being romantic in public, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel extremely guilty for it. Sometimes he felt like he had just shoved himself into an already functional relationship and ended up ruining the experience for everyone involved, dragging his two lovers down with him.

They didn’t deserve to have their happiness ruined by a cursed Zora like him.

Sidon's voice brought the golden Zora out of his silent downward spiral of self-deprecation. "What really made me think about all of this was that a few days ago, my father and the royal council asked about my courting plans." the prince explained. "They said that they are fine if I choose to later on marry Link, despite him being a Hylian, as he has done so much to help us all.”

Pausing, the prince reached over and grabbed Link and Brivere’s hands into his own, gently rubbing both of their knuckles with his thumbs. “And as happy as that made me… it just served as a reminder that people are only aware of and acknowledge one side of our relationship.” he said softly, golden eyes drooping. “I cannot have a world where both of you are unable to openly be by my side. I will go through _anything_ to ensure that I can fully enjoy the time we were blessed enough to have together.”

Link and Brivere sat in stunned silence, letting the prince’s words sink in as Sidon raised both of their hands to his lips, placing a soft kiss on each of their knuckles before slowly letting go.

Damn this charming, handsome, bastard of a prince.

Coughing, Link tried to cover up how embarrassed he was with some of his usual sarcasm. “No surprise that the prince of the Zora is such a smooth talker.” he teased, attempting to keep his voice steady. “Are you just trying to win this argument with your charisma or something?”

Sidon flashed his signature, handsome, sharp toothed smile, sending a bolt of lightning through his lovers’ chests. This wasn’t a fair battle anymore. “Is it that obvious?”

Brivere cleared his throat, donning his usual blank mask to hide how flustered he was at the prince’s words. “If all you have left is cheap tactics, may I speak my side of things now?”

Pouting, Sidon nodded before breaking out into a wide grin that almost won the golden knight over to his side immediately.

Almost. “Yes, I do agree that it is troubling that we _are_ all romantically involved yet cannot act like it most of the time.” Brivere said. “And regarding what you had accused me of earlier, I do not care what others say or for a blow to my reputation, as I have already faced such hardships practically since birth, so I am already used to it.”

“However,” the golden knight continued, ignoring how Link glared at Sidon when the prince instinctively opened his mouth to talk, but quickly shut it, “That does not mean that I can completely ignore the consequences of social backlash. None of us can, not even one with as much power as you, my lord. I truly believe that neither of you can fully understand just how much words alone can damage your life. Everything all comes down to how others perceive and treat you.”

Brivere paused, taking a deep breath to keep his composure. He hated dredging up past tragedies that he tried to bury away in the back of his mind, but it was the only way for his lovers to realize the severity of the situation. “Both of you are aware of my past, but I feel as though I should remind you.” he said slowly. “My family was shunned and mocked for so long that I must admit, it broke me. I cannot open up to others. I cannot bear to show emotion, in fear of giving satisfaction to my tormentors. To this day I continue to be silently haunted by the horrible things people have said and done to me. And for the longest time all my family had was each other. We could barely survive. No one would help or even speak to my family other than to humiliate us even further.”

“And eventually… my mother couldn’t take it anymore.” Brivere said quietly. “Society became so harsh that she thought it was better to die than to continue living in a world where every day was nothing but misery and torment. As much as I wish to be public about our relationship with one another, it is not worth it if there is even a _small_ chance that you two could become as damaged as my family and I have.”

The three of them sat in silence, allowing the weight of Brivere’s words to fully settle in their minds. And eventually, the golden knight spoke up. “All I want…” he said slowly, voice hardening as he looked up at his lovers, determination blazing in his golden eyes. “All I want is for you two to be safe, both physically and emotionally. You both are rare, _good_ people in such an unfair world that I cannot bear to let either of you get hurt by it. I will protect you two no matter what, not as the Oracle Knight, but as your lover.”

Now it was Sidon and Link’s turn to be amazed, gazing back at their shared lover in adoration. A wide smirk broke out across the Hylian’s face as he leaned forward to nudge Brivere with his elbow. “Are we all just sucking each other’s dick today or something?” Link snickered.

Brivere groaned. “I see that you have been talking to the Knight Captain, seeing as you have picked up on that vulgar line of hers.”

“Speaking of Betaal,” Sidon said, wedging himself between his lovers with a gleam in his golden eyes. “She is aware of our relationship with one another, correct?”

Cringing, the golden knight nodded. It was something that he had accidentally let slip during an extremely rare moment of emotional vulnerability with the Undercity knight. However, she had revealed many personal things as well, making the two of them even and allowed them to move past their differences and become close friends.

The prince smiled. “And she is perfectly fine with it as well, right?”

Seeing where his lover was going with this, Brivere sighed. “Although _she_ is alright with our love triad, that does not mean that _everyone else_ will as well.” he explained. “I consider the Knight Captain to be an exception. She is a rather tolerant and open minded person, considering all of the hardships she had gone through.”

“But we won’t know for certain unless we try!” the prince urged.

Brivere frowned. “I would rather keep things safe as they are rather than risk unnecessary harm venturing out into the unknown.”

Both of the Zora turned to Link, who flinched at the sudden attention. “What do you think, love?” Sidon asked softly.

“We will take no offense to whichever decision you think is best.” Brivere added.

Hesitantly, the Hylian shrugged. “I mean, I don’t think my opinion matters much.” he quietly admitted. “This is your guys’ Domain. I’m not even a Zora, so whatever social backlash comes out of all of this won’t really effect me.”

“Nonsense.” Brivere scoffed as Sidon firmly nodded, leaving no room for argument. “Although you may not be as impacted as my lord and I, your opinion still matters. This relationship involves all _three_ of us.”

A small, grateful smile stretched across Link’s face. “…Thanks.” he said. Pausing, the Hylian thought over the options again his mind before sighing, running his fingers through his blond hair. “The fact of the matter is that you two have a better grasp of this domain’s culture and people. So whatever you guys choose, I’ll completely support the decision you _both_ make.”

Sidon turned to Brivere and suddenly took the golden Zora’s hands into his, imploring his lover to look him in the eyes. “My sun,” the prince said, squeezing Brivere’s palms. “I completely understand what you are saying. And in no way am I disregarding or downplaying your experiences or feelings. I am fully aware that there _will_ be social ramifications for coming clean about our relationship with one another, and I do not intend to play it off as something that will not impact our lives.”

“However,” Sidon continued, his golden eyes softening. “I love you and Link more than I care for what others think, more than anything in the world. If I could, I would go to the top of this palace and shout my hopeless adoration for the two of you.”

“Please don’t.” Link snorted.

Smiling, the prince jokingly glared at his Hylian lover. “Hush, love.” he teased, focusing his attention back on Brivere. “I will not lie to you. It is difficult to keep all of this a secret, not only because I desperately wish to show my affection for both of you, but also because the stress of hiding it has strained our relationship with one another. Admittedly, the constant fear and being on edge… it has taken a toll on me, and I see the damage in you two as well, and that makes it all the more worse.”

“My lord…”

Leaning in, Sidon bumped his crest against Brivere’s, lightly nuzzling them together. “I deeply admire and appreciate your desire to protect Link and I.” he said in a low, rumbling voice that sounded like a prayer in the golden knight’s mind. “And I have no doubt in your ability to do so. With that… please place your trust not only in the strength Link and I possess, but also in yourself, and in the unbreakable soul bond we all share with one another.”

The prince sat back, leaving Brivere’s crest feeling empty, tingling from the lack of touch. A genuine smile stretched across Sidon’s face paired with soft, half lidded golden eyes. “So, shall we do this?” he asked slyly, holding out his muscular arms for both of his lovers to fall into.

Damn this charming, handsome, bastard of a prince. “Yes, my lord.” Brivere chuckled as he and Link leaned into the prince’s embrace, all three of them sighing in satisfaction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> This should be the last for Trying To Tie Loose Ends, at least for now.  
> This was only supposed to be one chapter added onto Infatuation.  
> And whoops, it turned into 7 chapters cause i got carried away.  
> It's literally an AU, for an AU (Infatuation), for an AU (TTTLE), for another AU (Catharsis), for a really specific fanfiction (Coma Baby).  
> So for the niche group who reads this, thank you for reading! and i hope you enjoy  
> ;  
> Specifically about ch.1:  
> god i fuckin love this love triad  
> they help each other grow and develop emotionally  
> brivere and link are working on communication but they're doin so much better  
> and damn that beautiful prince bastard


	2. A Father's Blessing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Dorephan loves his son more than anything in the world, not only because Sidon is his only living family, but because the prince has grown into a strong and dependable young man. But along with Prince Sidon, the king finds himself growing fond of his son's best friends, the Hylian Champion and the Oracle Knight.
> 
> However, it turns out they are closer than the old, wise king expected, and he becomes worried when they come before him much less confident than they usually are, as if they were children admitting they broke something and expecting a scolding from a stern father.
> 
> (A continuation of Infatuation, based on Coma Baby, PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES
> 
> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao. My beta reader @ipromiseitsnotanobsession on tumblr and ffnet gave me the title however, shoutout to alina you the bestttt

King Dorephan drummed his large fingers on his ornate throne. “Muzu,” he said, turning to look at his trusted advisor. “Who is scheduled to appear before me next?”

The old Zora hummed, flipping through some papers before widening his eyes. “My king… it appears that your son along with the Oracle Knight and the Hylian Champion have asked for some of your time.”

Frowning, the king nodded. “I see. Send them in after I finish this session.” he said, turning his attention back to the group of guards who were still in the throne room to report several cases of monster attacks just outside of the domain. Although he tried to focus on their proposals to strengthen border security, King Dorephan found his mind wandering back to his son, and he ended up just bobbing his head up and down to approve of whatever the soldiers were suggesting.

Usually, when Sidon wanted to speak of something with the king, he just came forward and bluntly asked for some of his father’s time, despite the king’s busy schedule. However, King Dorephan never minded and would dismiss anyone who remained in the throne room. None of them took offense to it, knowing that the king would always make time for the only remaining family that he had left.

It was rare for the prince to formally request a time slot, so for him to do so…

“My lord, that is all we have to report today.” the Guard Captain said as all of the guards bowed.

“Ah, yes.” King Dorephan grunted, snapping out of his thoughts. “Thank you all for your hard work. Please return to your stations and continue to protect our domain.”

“Yes, my lord.” they all replied in unison before quickly dispersing, leaving the throne room completely empty aside from the king and his royal advisor. “Muzu, please send in my son as well as his companions.” the king politely commanded.

“Yes, your majesty.”

The old Zora quickly scurried forward, ducking his head through the throne room’s entryway in search of the prince, who couldn’t be seen from where King Dorephan was sitting. Soon, Prince Sidon, his Hylian lover, and his personal knight all walked in, eliciting a warm smile from the old king, who always enjoyed their company.

However, something was clearly off today, making King Dorephan’s smile twitch into a slight frown. The three of them were some of, if not actually, the strongest warriors in the Zora Domain, all holding powerful positions of leadership with courage. This usually showed in the confident way they carried themselves, head held high with an assertive stride that created an authoritative aura. Prince Sidon led his people with poise and compassion, fearlessly protecting his beloved domain by commanding a whole section of the Zora army. His Oracle Knight, Brivere, was stoic and tough, an extremely cunning warrior that had fought against some of the best soldiers in the Zora Domain for his position. And the Hylian Champion Link was practically indestructible, not letting his smaller stature stop him from taking on monsters and beasts that were almost twice his size, and even defeated the _Calamity_ with some help from Princess Zelda.

Yet King Dorephan watched as Prince Sidon and his companions staggered into the throne room, trying but failing to keep their composure as they made their way over to the king. Eventually, they all nervously stood in front of him, Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion awkwardly bowing while the Oracle Knight got onto his knees and knelt, none of them daring to make eye contact with the king.

“My son, Hylian Champion, Oracle Knight, you may rise.” King Dorephan said warily, trying to brush off their odd behavior. “I trust that you all are doing well?”

“Yes, your majesty.” the three of them tensely replied in unison, standing up straight.

Chuckling, the king tried to lighten the mood with a flick of his hand, throwing formalities out of the window. “Oh come now, we are all close with each other. Please, I urge each of you to relax.”

After a moment of silence, Prince Sidon hesitantly spoke up. “Father,” he said slowly, struggling to make eye contact with the old king, “I must speak to you about something important, regarding me, the Hylian Champion, and my Oracle Knight.”

King Dorephan frowned, caught off guard by the prince’s tone. It sounded childlike, almost as if Sidon was nearly a century younger, the guilt evident in his strained voice making it seem like the prince was just a scared child about to confess an act of wrongdoing to their stern father.

Muzu caught onto it as well and cleared his throat. “Your majesty, I apologize, but I must attend to some other pressing matters.” he said quickly. This situation was clearly not a prince reporting something to his king; rather, it was a father-son conversation that the old advisor certainly didn’t belong in.

Nodding, the king dismissed his advisor, who bowed and scurried out of the throne room. Even though it was now completely empty, King Dorephan noticed the way his son and his two companions nervously glanced around, as if making sure that no one was hiding behind the pillars or within the shadows.

“My son, may I ask what is wrong?” King Dorephan gently urged, his golden eyes softening. “I do not even need your ability to tell that you are on edge, as well as the Hylian Champion and the Oracle Knight. If something has happened, I implore you to tell me. I only wish to help as best as I can.”

Prince Sidon bobbed his head up and down, slightly opening his mouth but letting no words come out, instead trapping them in his shaking chest. Glancing over at him, the Hylian Champion and the Oracle knight warily watched the prince try to gather his thoughts, both of them flashing him small smiles of encouragement.

Finally, the prince cleared his throat and readjusted himself, allowing his large frame to become even larger as he straightened his back and puffed his broad chest out. “Father,” he began, his usually confident voice now slightly apprehensive, “Do you remember when I first came to you over a year ago, where we discussed many subjects from a Zora’s capability to love to how I should stay true to myself and my feelings?”

“Yes, my son.” King Dorephan replied, encouraging the prince to continue with a soft smile.

“You yourself said that it is ridiculous to underestimate just how much love a person can possess within their heart.” Sidon said slowly. “That we are only limited by the society that says we may only love one other.”

The king nodded. “Indeed, I did say that.”

“And _you_ said that I should love who I love while I am still young, so that I am not wounded by time, as long as I am not harming those I deeply care for.”

“Certainly.”

“And you said-!”

“Son,” the king interrupted with a sigh that deflated his large form. As much as he loved his son, as patient as the old king was, this was dragging on for far too long. “I _always_ remember our precious time together. May you please get to your point already?” he softly chuckled.

Prince Sidon gulped, quickly glancing at the Oracle Knight and the Hylian Champion standing on either side of him before looking back up to the king. “As you know, I am dating Link.”

“Yes, I am aware.” the king said, raising his brow. “Is that all? Son, you know I already approve of your relationship with him.”

Hesitantly, Prince Sidon nodded. “Yes, father, but… I am also seeing Brivere.”

His son’s words didn’t even register in King Dorephan’s mind as he blankly stared back at the prince. “…I see.”

“And he is dating Link as well.” Prince Sidon said quickly, ripping off the bandage as fast as possible. All three lovers immediately cringed as they looked up at the king, trying to gauge his reaction.

After a few moments of tense silence, the king threw his head back and heartily laughed, shocking all three of them as his booming voice bounced off of the gemstone walls of the throne room. “Oh my!” he chortled, trying to regain his composure. “I can certainly see why all three of you seemed so apprehensive today, unlike your usual confident selves.”

The prince warily smiled back. “Father… you aren’t mad?”

Shaking his head, King Dorephan leaned forward, his old, wise eyes softening. “My son, I could never get mad at you. Or you two, either, for that matter.” he chuckled, looking at Brivere and Link with a soft grin. “Especially not for something as harmless and innocent as love. I still stand by all I have said before.”

Sidon and his lovers immediately eased up, relief washing over their tense bodies. “Thank you, King Dorephan.” they all said in unison, dopey grins on each of their faces, save for the ever reserved Oracle Knight. But even _he_ was biting back a smile that twitched in the corners of his taut lips, somewhat failing to keep his indifferent mask intact.

“Although, I must ask, how did such an arrangement come about?” King Dorephan asked, raising his brow. “Each of you have consented to this, correct?”

“Of course, father.” Sidon said as Brivere and Link nodded. Clearly, the three of them had discussed how they were going to approach the king beforehand, apparently agreeing to let the prince do all of the talking. “Link and I had were together first, then we agreed to let Brivere date me while the two of them remained close friends. However, over time, they ended up falling for one another as well.”

“Does anyone else know about this rather… _unconventional_ relationship?”

“No, just you, father. So far, at least.”

The king frowned. “Is there a particular reason why I am the first one you have confessed this to?”

“Of course, father!” Sidon cried out with a confused look on his face, as if it should be obvious. “For one thing, you are the king of the Zora, and this is something that may shake the whole domain. But more importantly, you are my father, my only living family. I care deeply about what you think.”

Link spoke up, making everyone turn to the Hylian in surprise. “I have to agree with that.” he admitted, scratching the back of his neck as he gave the king a nervous grin. “Your opinion on this matters to me as well. I don’t have any living family, or rather, I don’t even remember if I actually _do_. I technically don’t belong anywhere because of my century in a coma and all of the traveling I have had to do.”

Rolling on the balls of his feet, the Hylian sighed. “But in my time here, with you and Sido- no, the whole domain… it feels like I actually have a home for once, with people who care for me as _Link_ , not the Hylian Champion only meant to die for them.”

King Dorephan felt his heart soar as he warmly smiled at the Hylian, who hesitantly returned the gesture. The old king had always treasured Link ever since the young man had first come and won his daughter’s heart, apparently winning over his son’s as well over a century later. There was no one else King Dorephan could trust to take care of the only living family that he had left.

Well, that wasn’t completely the truth. There _was_ one other person.

Brivere cleared his throat, everyone turning to look at him as he spoke in a low voice. “I apologize for interrupting, my king, but I would like to explain myself as well.”

“Of course, Brivere.” the king said, flashing the golden Zora an encouraging smile.

Surprisingly, Brivere smiled back, throwing the other three in the room off guard, unused to seeing such a gesture from the stoic knight. “I know that our past together is rather complicated… and admittedly, it is still difficult to completely forgive you regarding my father’s prized possession.” Brivere said quietly, reaching a hand up to gently touch Prion’s choker, which was nestled on his broad shoulders.

The king nodded. If there was one thing he regretted more than anything in the world, it was making Prion’s family unnecessarily suffer from his inaction all those years ago.

“However,” the golden knight continued, looking at the king with a rare, soft smile. “I desperately try to every day, for I wish to be able to open up and become closer to you. If my father saw something great in you, then I desire to as well; and already, your kindness and generosity has been overwhelming… I have never felt such sincere guardianship before. Similar to my lord and the Hylian Champion, your stance on our rather unorthodox relationship is very important to me.”

Humming, a knowing smile stretched across the old king’s face as he looked at the three young men he cared for like family, despite only _one_ of them truly being bound to him by blood. “So, if I understand correctly, you all wish to ask for my approval as a father, not a king?”

 King Dorephan chuckled when all three of them sheepishly nodded back. “May all of you kneel before me?” he gently commanded.

Despite the confusion that was clear as water on their faces, each of them hesitantly nodded, quickly going onto their knees with their heads bowed. Leaning forward, King Dorephan held his large hand over them, which practically blocked out the sun that flowed into the throne room and hid all of them underneath its shadow.

“Prince Sidon. Hylian Champion. Oracle Knight.” the king began, his voice a low, rumbling noise that felt so comforting to the three people under his fingertips. “Each of you are strong in your own right. Each of you are weak in your own ways. May each of you make up for each other’s pitfalls and continue to serve as a pillar of support for one another.”

“However, I cannot lie to any of you.” he said, a sad smile on his face. “Although I am more than certain that you have debated and considered the logistics of such a relationship in our monogamous society, I must repeat such truths. As a father, more than anything, I want no harm to come to any of you.”

King Dorephan let out a shaky sigh that deflated his large frame, sinking deeper into his throne. “But unfortunately, that wish… it is unrealistic, and I refuse to delude any of you with dreams of false security. People will talk, will become toxic, will treat you differently. Hylia forbid, you may face hardships that you cannot even imagine. And as powerful as I am, even I, the king of this whole domain, cannot completely protect you all from the social backlash that is guaranteed to come.”

He warily looked at each of them, lingering on his own son the longest. All three held such high and well known positions in the Zora government, they Hylian Champion included out of respect, and even if they didn’t, their untraditional relationship would undoubtedly become a popular subject for gossip. This was definitely a risky move in their rather conservative society. The king was uncertain if he could approve of this with a good heart, without drowning in the guilt of knowingly sending these young men he cared for off to their doom.

But if this was what they desired, if this was what would make them happy…

“I will still do all I can to help each of you, of course.” King Dorephan continued. “However, you must each swear to me that you all will stand by this decision. You will not allow others to tear you three apart if you truly believe that this is the right thing to do. You all will stay together, no matter what, maintaining this relationship of yours the best you can, communicating your worries, allowing yourself to truly feel your emotions. Do each of you promise to do all of this?”

Prince Sidon quickly took his lovers’ hands into his own, all three of them not tearing their intense gaze away from the king. “Yes, King Dorephan.” they all said in unison, determination blazing in each of their eyes as they continued to kneel before the large blue Zora.

King Dorephan smiled. “If so, then as a father… you all have my blessing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> This should be the last for Trying To Tie Loose Ends, at least for now.  
> This was only supposed to be one chapter added onto Infatuation.  
> And whoops, it turned into 7 chapters cause i got carried away.  
> It's literally an AU, for an AU (Infatuation), for an AU (TTTLE), for another AU (Catharsis), for a really specific fanfiction (Coma Baby).  
> I hope you enjoy it!  
> ~~~~~~  
> About Ch. 2 specifically:  
> I really like the idea of a really supportive father dorephan. all three of them definitely need someone like that, especially brivere. and if you like the concept too, then just wait for another upcoming chapter ;)  
> did things get too cheesy? lmao whoops im eatin it up


	3. One Step At A Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link, Sidon, and Brivere have resolved to come out about their love triad in the monogamous Zora society. Of course, they cannot just announce it, completely blindsiding everyone in the domain with their unorthodox relationship, and expect for things to go smoothly from there. The best they can do is slowly introduce the Zora population to the idea of it, one step at a time.
> 
> (A continuation of Infatuation, based on Coma Baby, PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES
> 
> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao. My beta reader @ipromiseitsnotanobsession on tumblr and ffnet gave me the title however, shoutout to alina you the bestttt

Brivere hesitantly walked by his prince in the palace halls, feeling his heart race from the large number of government officials roaming around. Still, he kept a blank face through it all, despite the worry and doubt that gnawed at the bottom of his stomach.

He and his lovers had agreed to reveal their relationship slowly, using small physical cues like holding hands to casually send the message to other Zora. If anyone asked, they would just clearly state the nature of their relationship with one another, leaving no room for doubt or lies.

The only rule was that they wouldn’t be affectionate during their official duties in order to remain professional, but there was no work today for Prince Sidon and his Oracle Knight, so the prince had suggested that they try it out in the palace first. Brivere had sent his Holy Knight off with the excuse that the young Zora had to study more in the library for a few days, but in reality, the golden knight just didn’t want to get his younger brother caught up in the firestorm that was about to burn them all alive.

Everyone would inevitably talk about the three lovers, making the truth spread more naturally than if the three of them just completely blindsided the whole Zora Domain with an official announcement. Unlike the prince, Brivere was relieved, unsure if he could handle suddenly proclaiming his love life to everyone in the domain.

Their current plan was like teaching a Zora child how to swim for the first time; place the young Zora into the cold currents slowly, gradually increasing the water’s depth until they could handle it, rather than just throwing the child into the deepest part of the river and hoping for the best.

Still, the golden knight felt like he was drowning in anxiety, but apparently it didn’t show as Sidon didn’t say anything about it. Brivere had always wanted to hold either of his lovers’ hands in public, but now that it was going to actually happen, he was beginning to have second thoughts.

He snapped out of his thoughts when the prince gently bumped his hand against Brivere’s as they continued to walk through the palace. “Are you ready, love?” Sidon said, a smile stretched across his face. The Oracle Knight hesitated, but soon nodded, making the prince smile even wider as their fingers intertwined. Brivere slowly calmed down, his lover’s firm hold on him acting as an anchor that kept the golden Zora from being swept away from his nerves.

However, that didn’t mean that he couldn’t get flooded by the stares other Zora began to give the couple as they continued to walk through the palace.

Gradually, more and more Zora officials took notice of the two, heads immediately snapping to gawk at the prince and his personal knight as they held hands while strolling through the halls. Even though they were far away, Brivere still caught onto how  the other palace workers whispered to each other, asking one another if they knew what was going on, wondering if it was appropriate to ask.

After a few minutes, one particularly curious Zora was apparently bold enough to try, as Laflat soon sped over to them with a wary smile on her face. “My prince, Oracle Knight.” she said politely, bowing while trying to not make it obvious that she was glancing at their held hands.

Prince Sidon smiled. “Hello, Laflat. Is there some papers you must give to me?” he asked casually, as if there wasn’t another pressing matter at hand. Or rather, _in_ his hand.

Awkwardly laughing, Laflat shook her head, darting her eyes between the two of them. “I apologize if it is rude for me to ask, my lord…”

“Yes?”

“But...” she slowly continued, trying not to say anything that may offend her prince. “Is there a particular reason why you and the Oracle Knight are holding hands?”

Smiling wider, Prince Sidon nodded. “Yes. We are dating.” he said bluntly.

It took a few moments for his words to register in the other Zora’s mind as she blankly stared back. After a few seconds, she shook off her shock and gave him a sad smile. “Ah, I apologize. Has something happened with the Hylian Champion?”

“Not at all, as I am dating him as well.”

Laflat’s eyes widened and quickly darted around, as if looking for someone who was hiding in the shadows. “Does the Hylian Champion know of you two?” she whispered, leaning in closer as if promising to keep their “secret”.

Prince Sidon nodded, squeezing his lover’s hand. “Yes, Link is aware, as he is dating Brivere as well.”

Laflat may as well have been hit by a dozen shock arrows as her jaw snapped open, staggering on her feet as if she may collapse any second. The golden knight almost lunged forward to help her, but she quickly regained her composure and straightened her back. “O-Oh.” she said numbly, shifting her gaze to Brivere. “Is that so, Oracle Knight?”

Firmly nodding, Brivere tightened his grasp on his lover’s hand, bracing himself for the Zora woman’s reaction. Laflat just bobbed her head up and down in response, which wobbled on her neck as if it may fall off any second. Her mouth kept opening and closing like a fish out of water, clearly wanting to ask more questions, but eventually her lips pressed into a taut line as she decided that it wasn’t her place to do so. “Ah. I see. Well then… congratulations to you three?”

Smiling, Sidon bowed his head, and Brivere repeated the gesture. “Thank you, Laflat.” the prince said in a cheerful tone, clearly pleased that the interaction had not gone too badly. “Now if you excuse us, my lover and I would like to enjoy our day of rest.”

“…Yes, my lord.” Laflat mumbled as she staggered off, clearly still trying to process what she had just heard. The two Zora men watched her walk away, darting around the corner and going completely out of sight.

Brivere looked up to see Sidon smiling down at him. “Well, I would say that that went much better than expected, my sun.” the prince laughed.

“I am unsure of that.” the golden knight grunted in response. “She reacted as if we had told her that she had just been fired from her job.”

“I do hope not! Laflat is quite the hard worker, she knows I could never dismiss her.”

Groaning, Brivere glanced around, catching the way that other Zora were talking to each other about the strange interaction that had just occurred, since all of them were too far away to hear what had been said between the couple and Laflat.

“Are we done for today, my lord?” the golden knight said carefully. “Surely one woman is enough to get things going.”

The prince frowned. “I am afraid not, my sun. Laflat is not much of a gossiper.” he said, hesitantly leaning his head down, examining Brivere’s blank face for any trace of emotion. “However, if you truly aren’t feeling good about this anymore, then we can put it off for now.”

Sighing, Brivere shook his head. “As you have said before, we cannot put off the inevitable. It is best to just get it over with. Besides,” he added, squeezing the prince’s hand as he flashed his lover a rare smile. “We have already started anyways. This would all go to waste if we stopped now.”

Sidon’s mouth was slightly ajar, completely awestruck at the uncommon display of happiness from the stern golden knight. Whenever they did appear, they were so genuine and pure that the prince felt his heart melt at the mere sight of it. Storing the blessed image away in the back of his mind, so that he could replay over and over again, Sidon gave his lover a wider grin in return.

“If you just wanted to hold hands, you could just say so, Brivere.” he softly teased. The golden knight chuckled as he gently shook his head, walking forward and dragging Sidon along with him.

As they strolled through the palace halls, other Zora came up and stopped them, each conversation more or less like the awkward talk they had with Laflat earlier in the day. No one dared to ask more questions or spit bitter criticisms about the strange relationship, clearly not wanting to upset their prince, but Brivere still caught the way their brows narrowed or lips tightened in disgust. Still, none of it mattered to him, as he got to hold his lover’s hand for hours. He enjoyed the way Sidon’s hand cradled in his own without worrying about other people catching them, for once.

Eventually, everyone in the palace had apparently heard about the love triad, as no one approached the two Zora men anymore. Sidon and Brivere continued to walk through the halls, quietly talking about anything that wasn’t the blatant stares from other palace workers. They talked about their Hylian lover, who had used his Sheikah slate to warp closer to Hyrule Castle and help Princess Zelda with some political issues for the day, and then picked Link apart, joking about his lack of personal hygiene or really _any_ sense of personal safety. The conversation soon shifted to political issues in the Zora Domain, as they would have to return to their usual work tomorrow, and both of them became so engrossed in each other’s company that they didn’t realize that they had just walked around the palace aimlessly for hours until the sun began to set.

“I would say that this was a pretty good use of our day off, my sun.” the prince said, eyeing the way the sky glowed different shades of red, orange, and yellow, as if it was softly burning away into the ashy night. Brivere nodded, leaning his head against his lover’s muscular arm, both of them staring absentmindedly at the sky as the sun completely disappeared, allowing the moon to take its place.

At this point, he didn’t notice the other Zora who stood back, whispering as they watched the prince and his knight, all of them whispering about the true nature of their relationship with the Hylian Champion. And at this point, he didn’t care, finally understanding what Sidon had meant when they had first discussed coming clean just a few days ago.

If it meant that he could finally be free, could finally be happy without having to worry about hiding it for once, then whatever consequences they faced would all be worth it.

;

The next day, Brivere repeated the process with Link during his break time, walking hand-in-hand with his Hylian lover through the palace halls. It seemed like the other Zora workers were willing to ask more risky questions this time, because while the prince held an immense amount of power and authority over them, the Hylian Champion and the Oracle Knight certainly did not.

“Isn’t this cheating?” one palace worker asked. It was unclear if it was just a genuine question or a loaded accusation hidden behind a guise of curiosity.

Brivere shook his head. “No. All three of us are aware of how we are seeing one another, and have completely consented to it. It is only cheating if we had no knowledge of the other person or did not agree to share each other’s love.” he explained. The other Zora hesitantly nodded before walking away, and the two lovers were uncertain as to whether or not the palace worker was truly convinced by the Oracle Knight’s words.

However, the next Zora to stop them made his contempt more apparent, judging from the way his arms crossed as he scowled at the Hylian and his Zora lover. “I do not approve of this abhorrent relationship.” he spat. “It is nothing but a disgrace for some of the most powerful figures in our otherwise glorious domain to engage in such repulsive acts.”

“Good thing we don’t care what you think, nor do we need your worthless approval.” Link sneered, letting go of Brivere’s hand to wrap his arm around the waist of the golden Zora, who froze. “Like it or not, we are all going to keep dating each other, so you’re just going to have to deal.”

After the other Zora huffed and stormed off, Brivere gawked at his Hylian lover. “While I am aware that you are not a Zora, and therefore do not necessarily have to adhere to our class system, I do believe that our argument would fare much better if you didn’t insult some of the most elite Zora in the Domain.”

Link laughed. “Well, upper class or Undercity, it’s the truth and they’re just going to have to put up with it.” he said, squeezing Brivere’s hand as another Zora came scurrying up to them with an open mouth, the two of lovers bracing themselves for another interrogation.

This continued for the rest of the day, more and more strangers either asking the same question as everyone else or a wildly different one that completely threw Link and Brivere off guard.

“Are you guys sure that you just haven’t found the right one? If you aren’t satisfied with one of them, then you probably aren’t soul bound. There’s no need to drag someone else into it. You can’t just love one person the same way as another.”

Frowning, Brivere shook his head. “It isn’t about loving both of them the exact same way. Neither is more satisfying, more fulfilling, nor more enjoyable than the other. It’s just… different, that’s all.” he said, biting back a smile when Link seemed pleased with his answer.

“Is this even legal?”

“Well, it isn’t _illegal_.” Link chuckled, making the golden knight discreetly elbow him for not taking this seriously.

“Do you guys just do it for the threesomes or something? What is it like?”

Brivere had to physically hold Link back from making a sarcastic, vulgar response. “…I am afraid that that is a personal matter and an invasion of our privacy.” the golden knight said curtly.

This cycle of accusatory or intrusive questions repeated for almost an hour, wearing Link and Brivere out from the constant interrogation from nearly every Zora in the palace. Both of them were thankful when the Oracle Knight’s break was over, and quickly excused themselves from several Zora who were all talking at the same time, pushing for more information about their unorthodox relationship.

“Dear Hylia I thought that would never end.” Link grunted as the two of them jogged off towards the barracks, where the Oracle Knight would reunite with the prince so that they could continue their royal duties for the day. The Holy Knight was still holed up in the library, studying as he was safely tucked away from all of the social chaos happening with his older brother.

“My patience was wearing thin from having to say the same thing again and again to those dumbasses.” Link said, his sharp tongue stabbing each syllable.

Brivere panted, finding it difficult to keep up with the nimble Hylian. “It is alright, Hylian Champion. Our relationship with the prince is a rather foreign concept.”

Throwing his hands up, Link let out strangled growl as he ran. “I seriously don’t get the whole soul-bonding thing in Zora culture. All of you seem too uptight and strict about only having _one_ person for the rest of your lives, and you guys tend to live a _long_ ass time.”

“It comes from an ancient tale about our ancestors, deeply intertwined within the history of the Zora race involving the goddess Hylia.” Brivere replied, ready to explain all of it.

“Oh, I’m already _well_ aware of the story.” the Hylian said, cutting him off. “Still doesn’t mean that everyone has to have a spear up their ass about it.”

Shaking his head, the golden knight sighed. “I cannot blame them, really. The concept was even hard for _me_ to accept at first, so to an outsider, it would seem even more preposterous. All Zora have held the firm belief that you are to only mate with one other Zora per lifetime and have been taught this since birth.” he explained. “The three of us are the first love triad that my lord and I have ever even heard of.”

Link closed his eyes and slowed down to a brisk walk, which Brivere was thankful for. Zora were _definitely_ not made for running. “…I guess I can’t expect a whole race to change their deeply held beliefs in just two days.” the Hylian grumbled.

Chuckling, the golden knight took Link’s hand into his, both of them quickly walking towards the barracks, its entrance slowly coming over the horizon. “It is alright, Hylian Champion. You are not a Zora so you would not quite understand, which is no fault of your own. But my lord and I deeply appreciate that you are trying.”

The Hylian hesitantly looked over Brivere’s blank face, clearly looking for something. Finally, he gave up and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

Pausing, the golden knight raised his brow and looked down at his lover. “What for?”

“…I have to admit, I wasn’t taking this as seriously as I needed to.” Link confessed, a guilty look on his face. “I mean, I’m pretty much the only Hylian in the whole Zora Domain. I don’t fit in _anywhere_ , since I was in a coma for over a century and I’ve been traveling all over Hyrule, so none of these Zora really have an impact of me because I don’t really belong here in the first place.”

Sighing, the Hylian looked up at Brivere, regret shining in his icy blue eyes. “Quite honestly, I didn’t get what the big deal was when you and Sidon were arguing about whether or not to reveal the truth of our relationship with one another. But now, I get it.” he explained slowly. “This place is _home_ for both of you. I’ve never had that, so I didn’t realize that it’s where you both grew up, having a culture with different viewpoints than mine, your whole lives essentially intertwined with everyone else’s. It was selfish of me to treat it all like a joke and possibly make a bad impression on all of those Zora who came up to us with genuine questions. I’m sorry for any trouble I ended up causing.”

“First off, you _certainly_ belong here.” the golden knight said, not even hesitating to comfort his troubled lover. He was impressed that Link had even fessed up to his guilt, as the Hylian tended to just let it build up and fester inside of himself, similar to the golden knight. “My lord and I would never wish for you to feel excluded. When you are in the domain, it definitely feels more like home, and I hope you can see it that way as well.”

Link smiled and looked away, trying to hide the way his face immediately flushed, but Brivere caught onto it anyways as he continued. “Second, while your responses were rather… crass, technically you _did_ still answer all of their questions correctly. And I must admit that I found your replies to be quite humorous.” the golden knight tittered.

“But it is not as if you are obligated to do all of that. You are not a teacher or a scholar, required to answer every single Zora who comes up to you with a ridiculous inquiry.” Brivere explained, squeezing his lover’s hand. “You are simply a man who is trying to live a lifestyle that is completely harmless. It is up to everyone else to respect and accept that, and even if they don’t, they must acknowledge that you will continue to do what makes you happy.”

Nodding in satisfaction, Link grinned, and both of them walked in comfortable silence hand-in-hand, stopping right next to the side of the barracks. They ignored the pointed stares of other soldiers who were milling about, turning to face one another for a few last words before they had to part for the day.

“Where’s Sidon?” the Hylian asked, taking both of Brivere’s hands into his own, lightly swinging them about.

The golden knight hummed. “He is deep within the barracks. I would take you, but I am afraid that we are on official duty at the moment. It would appear like a conflict of interests if we suddenly started bringing our Hylian lover everywhere, much as we would like to.”

“I defeated the fucking Calamity, you think I’d get an all access pass at this point.” Link grinned.

“Do you even respect basic boundaries or social customs in the first place?”

“Nope.”

Both of them softly laughed, Brivere feeling completely at ease. “My lord and I will see you tonight in his quarters, correct?”

“You know it.” Link said with a wink. Pausing, a mischievous smile stretched across his face. “Before you go, can I get a kiss goodbye?”

“…I beg your pardon?”

Letting go of his Zora lover’s hands, Link threw his head back and laughed. “Dude, I’m just kidding! Just wanted to see your reaction.”

“Oh.” Brivere said, uncertain if he was disappointed or not.

Still, the Hylian caught onto his hesitation, a shit eating grin quickly appearing as Link wiggled his eyebrows. “I mean, if you want to, we can-!”

“Not in the slightest.” the golden knight said curtly, cutting off his lover with a raise of his hand. “Now if you excuse me, I must return to my duties with my lord.”

Before Brivere could turn away and disappear into the barracks, the Hylian quickly grabbed onto his long forefins, forcing the golden knight to lean down low enough for Link to stand on his toes and press his lips against Brivere’s. The Oracle Knight froze, suddenly remembering where they were.

A couple of wolf whistles and chuckles filled the air, as the other soldiers around them enjoyed the hilarious sight of the usually uptight Oracle Knight being flustered by the Hylian Champion’s brash actions. Brivere quickly pulled away, unsure if the other guards’ amusement was malicious or innocent, and smacked Link upside the head before darting into the barracks. Even as the golden knight quickly walked deeper and deeper into its winding halls, fast enough to hide how embarrassed he was but slow enough to maintain his dignity, he still heard his Hylian’s laughter echo off of the gemstone walls.

“See you later, Brivere!” Link howled into the entryway, cackling as he walked away.

The Oracle Knight was practically running at this point, which luckily didn’t seem strange to the other soldiers inside of the barracks, as they assumed that he was just looking for the prince. And indeed, he quickly found Prince Sidon, almost crashing into the large red Zora from his flustered state of mind.

“Oracle Knight?” the prince asked, raising his brow as he steadied Brivere. “Is everything alright?”

The golden knight stiffly nodded his head. “Just fine, my lord.” he said firmly through gritted, sharp teeth.

“Okay, well, we should get going now.” Sidon said, unconvinced. The Oracle Knight nodded his head, walking next to the prince as the two of them delved deeper into the barracks.

Although Brivere was more than embarrassed by his Hylian lover’s actions, he still couldn’t help but reach his clawed fingers up to let them softly brush against his lips, which now felt empty and cold, but still stretched into a small smile.

;

Link, Sidon, and Brivere repeated this process many times, all three of them eventually going out together, holding hands or being affectionate within the palace in order to control the size of how many people were exposed to their unconventional relationship. They had to answer more and more questions, sure, but each of them found the stares and the pointed whispers meant nothing compared to the freedom of not having to hide their romantic connection to one another anymore. Because of it, their relationship became better as a result, communication becoming more common along with a sense of genuine peace despite the social chaos.

Although Brivere was a rather reserved man, and was not one to easily display his emotions, he had to admit that he liked being able to be affectionate with his lovers in public whenever he wanted to instead of being on edge the few, secret moments he could actually do so in fear of being caught. Link was the same way, but the two of them couldn’t deny that their fingers fit perfectly in-between each other’s, creating a sense of emptiness whenever their palms weren’t glued together.

Sidon, on the other hand, was clearly not self-conscious of being openly affectionate. Either that, or he was just making up for all of the time that he was unable to do so before, which was always lost inside of the privacy of his quarters. The prince was always roping either or both of his lovers into a back breaking hug, all with his signature grin stretched across his face. Sidon’s hands were always in Brivere or Link’s, and if it wasn’t, then they were gently placed on one of their shoulders or holding onto either of his lovers’ waists. Of course, the prince only did so when appropriate, never daring to even _touch_ the Oracle Knight when they were attending to official duties.

After the initial shock and realization that the three of them were serious about their relationship, the palace Zora began to become more hostile. They didn’t dare to actually say something to any of the lovers, as the prince still had superiority over all of them, but their disgust was clear from how they glared at the prince and his lovers whenever they went out together.

At the very least, casually exposing their secret to the palace workers first made it easier for word to spread, as gossip about their unorthodox relationship was inevitable. This made the citizens outside of the palace and in the Undercity already aware of the love triad, making it easier to not give other Zora citizens heart attacks when the three of them slowly began to branch out to the rest of the domain. Soon, it wasn’t a rare sight to see one of them accompanied with one, if not both, of his lovers.

Still, that didn’t make their relationship any less deplorable by the Zora’s cultural standards. Many were outraged, constantly throwing slander and accusations at the lovers with poisonous tongues and clenched fists. Some of the apostles and royal council members even went as far as to take the three of them to court, trying to legally break them apart.

Luckily, Prince Sidon had anticipated this ahead of time and pointed out that, in Zora law, only _marriage_ had to be with one other person. And the three of them were only _dating_ , which there was no restrictions against. Still, the subject of marriage became a hot topic anyways, as the prince and the Oracle Knight had to pass their positions on by blood. A compromise had to be made between the court and the three lovers, and it was decided that Prince Sidon could marry either of the two, but he and Brivere would each need to have a concubine and have children with them. The two Zora men agreed to the conditions while silently praying that the unsatisfied court couldn’t hear their Hylian lover, who was trying, but miserably failing, to hold back his laughter.

After _that_ whole mess, the glares or whispers from other Zora citizens every time the three of them were together suddenly weren’t so bad in comparison. And since everyone already knew of their unorthodox relationship, there was no need to be so public about their affection anymore, yet the three of them unintentionally continued to do anyways.

Unexpectedly, Brivere found himself becoming the main target of vitriol from many citizens, although he never told this discovery to his lovers. However, he excused his Holy Knight to study in the library again for a few more weeks, not wanting to get his younger brother caught in the crossfire.

Prince Sidon found it more difficult to be taken seriously in political matters with other government officials, but no one dared to directly say anything to him about his relationship, as he was still superior to them in terms of status and power. And while the Hylian Champion didn’t have such a high position, he wasn’t a Zora, so that meant that social or political sabotage in their domain would have no effect on the Hylian. Plus, he was known for being rather aggressive, daring anyone to challenge him with a sharp tongue. _Him_ , the man who defeated the fucking _Calamity_ single-handedly.

Thus, that left only the reserved Oracle Knight to be the subject of scrutiny for the whole Zora Domain.

Brivere’s convoluted and troubled background didn’t help his case either. For one thing, his mother had committed suicide for the very same “sin” so long ago, and many mocked him for turning out to be “just like that whore of a woman”. For another, Sidon and Link had been together first, and many accused the golden knight of weaseling into their relationship and being the cause of their “infidelity”. A multitude other factors came into play, all of them weighing down onto the golden knight as practically every Zora in the domain tormented him, saying that he was cursed, blaming him for being so selfish.

And perhaps he would have listened to all of their vitriol, but whenever he felt his hand fit perfectly into Link’s, or nuzzled his crest against Sidon’s, or peacefully lay with both of them in the prince’s waterbed at night…

Brivere mused that for once in his life, he would allow himself to be selfish, one step at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> This should be the last for Trying To Tie Loose Ends, at least for now.  
> This was only supposed to be one chapter added onto Infatuation.  
> And whoops, it turned into 7 chapters cause i got carried away.  
> It's literally an AU, for an AU (Infatuation), for an AU (TTTLE), for another AU (Catharsis), for a really specific fanfiction (Coma Baby).  
> So for the niche group who reads this, thank you for reading! and i hope you enjoy  
> ;  
> For ch. 3 in particular:  
> lmao this was more for us to see one on one interaction with brivere and one of his lovers  
> He and link are pretty reserved and dont share their emotions much still, but they have been improving and becoming healthier together. i love the emotional healing that comes out of this trio, all of them really need it. And even though they arent the kind to be like super touchy, its the small things that count.  
> And if it wasnt clear, another reason why its called one step at a time cause Brivere has never had something as wonderful as this before, and its a lot to take in, so it happens in small actions and hes accepting it "one step at a time" (roll credits)  
> lmao but itll be an issue that comes up again  
> see you next chapter, hope you liked this one! lemme know if so


	4. The Weakest Link In The Chain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ironically, it isn’t the Hylian Champion, Link.
> 
> After coming forward about their polygamous relationship, Sidon, Link, and Brivere prepared themselves for the inevitable social backlash from the monogamous Zora culture. And indeed, it quickly came, but many of their tormentors had realized that they couldn’t insult their prince, who had power over all of them, or the Hylian Champion, who wasn’t even one of them and couldn’t really be impacted by their vitriol.
> 
> As a result, that left only the Oracle Knight to be the main target of their hostility.
> 
> (A continuation of Infatuation, based on Coma Baby, but PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES
> 
> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao. My beta reader @ipromiseitsnotanobsession on tumblr and ffnet gave me the title however, shoutout to alina you the bestttt

If the Oracle Knight was honest with himself, today was a really shitty day. At least, so _far_ it had been, since the day technically wasn’t done yet as Brivere sprinted to the battle dome.

First, he had woken up late since neither of his lovers bothered to wake him up, Link joking that the uptight golden knight needed some more rest and Prince Sidon having already left to fix some urgent matters. Bolting out of the prince’s water bed, Brivere had to quickly put on his armor and his father’s choker, then track down the prince, which was nearly impossible in the humongous palace. And the whole time he was running around, most likely looking like a fool, many of the palace workers coldly stared at the golden knight as he sped past them.

By Hylia’s grace, he found the prince, and the two of them quickly dived into a sea of paperwork, filling out report after report for hours. It definitely would have gone faster if his Holy Knight was with them, but Brivere had sent his younger brother off to study in the library for a few weeks, in order to not get the younger Zora caught up in the social turmoil surrounding the Oracle Knight.

A lot of the work was unnecessary anyways. Ever since the prince and his knight had come out about their love triad with the Hylian Champion, many of the government workers have been making it harder for either of them to get any policies in place or handed both of them worthless documents to fill out. Still, they were obligated to do so anyways, and Brivere’s hand was permanently stuck in the position to clutch his writing quill.

There were a few moments where the Oracle Knight had to step away from his prince to fetch more papers or gather some documents, and whenever he did there was always at least a dozen Zora spitting malicious words at him for his unconventional love triad.

And then, a messenger had come in, not looking Brivere in the eye as they delivered their message. Apparently, the Knight Captain, Betaal, needed help training a new unit of soldiers at three o’clock. Her right hand in command, Corporal Dunma, had been suddenly called away to take care of a monster attack in Fort Boko, so Betaal required assistance in overseeing the nearly one hundred soldiers.

Usually, it would have been the other way around, with the Knight Captain being the one sent to Fort Boko and Corporal Dunma would have stayed instead. However, according to the Guard Captain, this was a new squadron comprised of some of the most unruly soldiers in the Zora Domain. Thus, they needed intense training that only the merciless Undercity Knight could give to whip them into shape.

The Oracle Knight didn’t want to leave the prince alone, but Prince Sidon had waved his overprotective knight off, saying that he could handle the obnoxious amount of work by himself. Still, Brivere stayed a bit longer, finishing as much work as he could before kissing his lover goodbye and bolting towards the battle arena the Knight Captain told him to go to.

Which is where he found himself now, sprinting through the arena’s large archway, already a few minutes late. He silently cursed himself for being unprofessional, but was relieved when he realized that Betaal wasn’t there yet, apparently still on her way.

The arena was basically a large, badass glass fishbowl, with gemstone bleachers that completely surrounded it so that every square inch of its clear blue water was completely visible. At the bottom of the stands, there were large gates that kept spectators away from the ground the pool was resting on, as there was nothing but a platform to keep the dome steady over a large gaping hole that led into the filtration system. It was said that anyone, or any _thing_ , dropped in there would never be seen again, as its rushing currents ran all over the Zora Domain.

Brivere shot up the steps, fast enough to make up for lost time but slow enough to maintain his dignity. He quickly got up onto a stone platform that jutted out from the bleachers, hanging slightly above the water in the pool below. Once the golden knight stood at the edge and folded his hands behind his back, he loudly cleared his throat, catching the attention of the nearly one hundred Zoras that floated in the water in front of him. They immediately silenced, staring back at him with blank eyes.

“Good evening, everyone.” he said loudly. “I trust that you are all doing alright?”

No one responded. The Oracle Knight hesitated, warily observing all of them in slight confusion before continuing. “I have been asked to come here today by the Knight Captain.” he said, slowly but loudly. “She has asked for my help with training all of you, but as it appears that she is not yet here, we shall begin with fifty laps around the arena while we wait for her. When she arrives, the Knight Captain and I will evaluate each of you during some basic diving exercises and determine which groups we can place you all into for underwater battle training.”

Brivere narrowed his eyes, scanning the motionless Zora soldiers who just quietly bobbed in the arena’s water. “Were my directions unclear?” he asked, raising his brow. “If so, I apologize. Does anyone have any questions about what I just said?”

None of them moved except for one particularly bold soldier who raised his hand, breaking the strange silence that had washed over all of them. “Why were you late?”

Slightly thrown off by the strange question, Brivere blankly stared back, becoming a little annoyed. On top of his already horrible day, now some jackass was asking unimportant questions when there were more pressing matters to take care of. “I apologize for being late, but it could not be helped.” he said, trying not to let his irritation show. “If you _must_ know, there was some important matters I had to help my lord with.”

Snickers washed over the soldiers in small waves. “Well that’s not a surprise!” another soldier howled.

Most of the Zora in the water burst out into laughter, making the Oracle Knight slightly scowl before quickly reverting back to his usual impassive mask. “May I ask just _what_ is so humorous?” the golden knight asked sharply.

The audacious Zora from earlier, who had asked the initial question, loudly cackled. “It’s funny that you think that a _whore_ can have _any_ authority over us.”

Brivere was stunned by the blatant maliciousness in the soldier’s words. The golden knight had already faced so much outrage and loathing from the palace workers just that morning before he had even come to the arena. He didn’t expect to have to endure it all over again in the one place he _thought_ he had power and respect.

“…I beg your pardon?”

The soldier smugly smiled back, eerily resembling Brivere’s former friend, Leuqas. The golden knight was thrown off by the similarities, trying to suppress the horrible memories and emotions that would be forever tied to that revolting nobleman.

“You heard me.” the soldier spat. “We aren’t going to listen to some _whore_ who thinks he’s high and mighty now that he’s fucked the prince and Hylian Champion, _and_ killed the Nobleman Leuqas after doing _him_ too.”

Heat rose in Brivere’s chest, soon blazing across his face. He was unsure if it was embarrassment or pure, unbridled fury. “How _dare_ you-!”

“SOLDIER TIBURO!” a familiar voice boomed, echoing off of the bleachers of the stadium. Everyone snapped their heads to gawk at the Knight Captain, who was standing in the archway with her arms crossed along with a scowl branded onto her rugged face.

“Just what the _hell_ do you think you’re doing?!” Betaal barked, marching over to the edge of the water. Everyone flinched at the edge in her voice, all of them immediately snapping to attention. Only Brivere stayed paralyzed in place, both out of shock and because he technically held the same status as her, so he wasn’t obligated to salute her like the rest of the soldiers in the arena’s pool.

Tiburo, who was apparently the soldier that had been the most obvious about his contempt for the Oracle Knight, trembled in the water. “Knight Captain, I apologize, I didn’t know you-!”

“No apologies. Just explanations.” Betaal spat through gritted teeth. “I demand to know how you _dare_ to be so disrespectful to the Oracle Knight, especially when _I_ asked him to come here to help us as a _favor_.”

The soldier, who was so boldly shameless earlier, was now cowering in the water like a sinner before the goddess Hylia herself. And in the same way, his wide eyes were begging for mercy, lips pressed into a thin, trembling line. Brivere was slightly jealous that Betaal had such authority and respect from these soldiers, unlike himself, but at the same time he was grateful that she had helped gain control over the situation.

Tiburo’s mouth helplessly opened and shut, trying to come up with the most excusable explanation but miserably failing to do so. He desperately looked around at his fellow soldiers for help, but they all looked away, suddenly not as cooperative as they were earlier when they were all laughing at the golden knight.

“Well?” Betaal snapped, uncrossing her arms to put her hands on her hips as she impatiently tapped her foot. “ _Today_ , Soldier Tiburo.”

Quickly nodding his head, Tiburo gulped. “W-w-well…” he stammered, looking as if he wished to drown under the water, which unfortunately for him was impossible since he was a Zora. His eyes flicked over to Brivere and he quickly snapped an accusatory hand to the Oracle Knight. “Are you not _aware_ of his reprehensible relationship with the prince and the Hylian Champion?!” he blurted out.

Betaal laughed, but there was not a trace of humor in her breath. “How the hell could I not be?” she sneered. “It’s been the talk of the whole domain for _weeks_. Honestly, at this point I’m already tired of it.”

“But-!”

A glare from the First Knight’s one eye immediately silenced Tiburo. Her eyepatch only added to her threatening aura. “No buts.” she hissed, staring him down. “It shouldn’t matter. That is his _personal_ life. Here, he is the Oracle Knight, and he earned that position on his own so I expect you all to respect it like every other status in our military, like my own.”

The look the soldiers gave as they hesitantly glanced at Brivere told him of the accusation they didn’t dare to speak as long as the Knight Captain was there. _Yeah, earned it by fucking his way to the top._

Betaal continued, snarling at the soldier, who recoiled and slightly sank underwater as if trying to hide from her deadly gaze. “Soldier Tiburo, you are a disgrace to the Zora army and our royal crown. Get out of the goddamn water _now_ , I’m writing you up and-!”

“Knight Captain,” Brivere interrupted. “It is alright.”

Everyone snapped their heads to gawk at the Oracle Knight, unsure if they were unsurprised or not to find that he was standing there with his usual inexpressive mask, as if he hadn’t been impaled by the venomous words they had stabbed him with just moments before.

The Knight Captain blankly stared back at him. “Oracle Knight, he said-!”

“I am conscious of his statements.” he replied bluntly.

Betaal shook her head. “Even so, he still has shown a blatant disregard for authority. Soldier Tiburo must be punished for his impudence.”

“Oh, I am well aware.” Brivere said, walking to the edge of the water. He glared down at the bold soldier, who now trembled under _his_ unforgiving gaze, rather than the First Knight’s. “Soldier Tiburo, you are to fight me in battle.”

“W-why?” Tiburo whimpered.

“Because I am not a _coward_ who is all talk and no action, Soldier Tiburo.” Brivere snapped back, venom dripping off of his razor-sharp tongue. “If you refuse, not only will you be reprimanded for your audacity, but everyone will know that you do not even have the _spine_ to back up your own slanderous claims. But if you comply, I will protect you from the consequences of your insolence.”

Tiburo gawked at the Oracle Knight, jaw hanging open as Brivere turned to face the rest of the soldiers who were numbly treading water. “If anyone else wishes to challenge me as well, I encourage you to do so.” the golden knight said in an unsettlingly calm voice. “I fully intend to prove to all of you that I earned the position of Oracle Knight with my own fighting prowess. If I cannot have your respect, then I will beat it into you until you have all learned your lesson.”

After a moment of stunned silence, a wide smirk broke out across Betaal’s face. “You heard him!” she barked, excited at the prospect of a good fight. “Anyone who doesn’t dare to challenge the Oracle Knight, get the hell out of the water!”

Chaos broke out as a majority of the soldiers scrambled to hoist themselves over the edges of the arena’s pool, quickly taking their seats in the gemstone bleachers that surrounded it. None of them dared to sit close to Brivere, who was taking off his father’s heavy choker so that he could swim faster in the water arena.

Betaal jogged over to him, simpering as she stood in front of the Oracle Knight. “I thought you were going to help me out with training today?”

“This _is_ training.” he grunted, undoing the clasps on Prion’s choker. “The ones in the bleachers get mental training, the idiotic ones in the water are getting physical training.”

The Undercity knight snorted as she helped him take off the hefty choker. “If you just wanted to beat the hell out of those assholes, you could’ve just said so.”

Sighing, he shook his head. “I apologize, but that is not quite it.” Brivere said, looking up at her with hard, golden eyes. “I hope you understand why I need to do this.”

Betaal grinned back, her sharp teeth gleaming in the sunlight. “Trust me, I totally get it. However, don’t hurt them _too_ much, it’ll just be a pain in the ass to deal with later.”

Both of them nodded at each other before parting ways, the Knight Captain walking to the platform hanging over the pool in order to judge the battle while the Oracle Knight jumped into the water, quickly swimming over to the center.  Only five challengers treaded water there, including Tiburo, who seemed to regret every single action he had ever done in his life that had led him to this very moment.

The Oracle Knight swam until he floated just a few feet ahead of them, acknowledging Tiburo, who snapped out of his anxiety to hesitantly look the stern knight in the eye. “How would you all like to go about this?” Brivere asked, his tone threateningly calm.

Looking back at the four other soldiers, Tiburo gulped and focused back on the Oracle Knight. "All five of us against you.”

Brivere had to bite back a snarky reply about them being afraid to take him on one-on-one. He mused that sarcastic Hylian lover had definitely rubbed off on him. “That is fine with me.”

The five other soldiers nodded, forming a circle around the Oracle Knight while allowing him to swim in the center of their formation. As they bobbed in the water, waiting for the First Knight’s announcement declaring the rules, smug looks overcame their rugged faces. Even Tiburo seemed to ease up, apparently forgetting his cowardice as he was supported by his comrades, snarling at the Oracle Knight as they all began to spit poisonous words at him.

“Can’t wait to take down a pretentious escort like you.”

“You are a disgrace to our domain and the royal family.”

“It’s not a surprise that you’re just like your whore of a mother.”

“You ruined the soul bond between Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion.”

“First Nobleman Leuqas, then even more upper classmen afterwards? Just how many have you fucked to get where you are?”

Brivere ignored them with a blank look on his face, patiently treading water as he waited for Betaal’s signal to start. Although he was already used to hearing such slander, anger still boiled in his chest, begging to beat the hell out of these miscreants. But he’d be damned if he let them know that their arrows had hit their mark, so he stuffed his fury deep inside of himself, waiting to use its malicious energy during the fight.

“Zora of our glorious domain!” the Knight Captain shouted, arms folded behind her back as she addressed the soldiers sitting in the bleachers, all of them cheering in excitement and anticipation. “Today, we shall pay witness to a battle between our esteemed Oracle Knight and five of your own.”

Turning to the waters below her stone platform, Betaal eyed the Zora bobbing in the water, all of them itching to start the fight. “Oracle Knight, what terms have you all come to?” she asked loudly.

Brivere grunted. “All five of them against me until one of us stands.”

“And what is on the line? What shall the reward be for the victor?”

Pausing, the Oracle Knight glanced over the soldiers surrounding him. “Win or lose, they will all be protected from earlier insolence. Nothing is on the line but pride.”

A silent message passed between the six Zora in the water as they glared at each other. _And something to prove._

“Is that agreeable to the challengers?” Betaal asked the five soldiers, who nodded back.

The Knight Captain raised one hand above her head, preparing to give the signal to start. “The challengers have standard Zora spears while the Oracle Knight has his silver scale longsword. However, fists and cunningness is still acceptable. Fight until only one remains. When a competitor is knocked out or gravely injured, someone must bring them off to the side so that our healer doesn’t get caught up in the fight. Does everyone understand?”

When the six competitors nodded, a wide, sharp toothed grin stretched across Betaal’s face. Each Zora in the water tensed up, reaching over to grip their hands around their weapons.

“BEGIN!”

The second Betaal’s hand snapped down, Brivere immediately dived under the water, prompting all of the soldiers to quickly follow suit. He was somewhat smaller than his competitors, both due to genetics and because he was the youngest amongst them, which only made his past accomplishments all the more impressive. It also played to his advantage, as his body easily sliced through the water, making him a golden rocket that darted in circles around the five other soldiers.

Apparently, their plan was to take on the Oracle Knight together, judging from how they swam in a tight pack that quickly trailed after him, trying to pin the golden Zora against the glass sides of the arena’s pool.

And eventually, it worked. They all suddenly kicked away from each other, spears pointed at the Oracle Knight, forcing him to bolt towards the wall of the dome. Quickly, they resumed formation, sticking next to one another as they continued to charge directly at him.

They were waiting for the Oracle Knight to reel back so that he didn’t slam into the pool’s sides, which would constrain him in the center of their group. But their confidence soon drained away as they continued to chase Brivere, who wasn’t slowing down in the slightest.

At the last possible second, the Oracle Knight pulled up, his white chest sliding against the glass as he shot upwards through the water. The six soldiers speeding after him barely had enough time to react as they watched in shock, Brivere crashing out of the water’s surface and sailing high above it. All of soldiers quickly kicked their legs to dart off to the side, save for one Zora who was going too fast to properly turn and instead smacked into the glass with a sickening _crack._

Everyone in the stands outside of the dome cringed at the sound as the soldier’s body limply floated to the surface. No one noticed the healer standing by quickly retrieve the passed out Zora, as everyone was focused on the Oracle Knight, who was swiftly flipping mid-air high above the pool.

Brivere grabbed the longsword strapped onto his back, pulling it off of his weapon strap as he began to lose momentum and fall back towards the water. He held his arm out, pointing the sword right at another soldier below him as his body straightened and plummeted towards the other Zora.

The soldier barely got out of the way in time, quickly swimming off to the side. The second Brivere hit the water, he quickly spun around, slicing the air between him and his enemy. His sword clipped the other Zora’s arm, who hissed and blocked his next attack before lunging their spear at him.

Both Zora were quickly swimming through the water as they fought, Brivere trying to keep the other competitors from overpowering him and the other soldier trying not to let him get too close. The three other soldiers still managed to catch up, trying to pierce the golden knight with their spears, whose sharp points he either blocked with his armor or barely dodged. The water became tinged red from the blood spilled into it, and the adrenaline rushing through his veins made it impossible for Brivere to tell if some of it was his own. The screeching sound of metal clanging against each other rang through the stadium, barely drowned out by the cheers and hollers by the soldiers sitting in the bleachers.

The soldier that Brivere was fighting decided to take a risky move, suddenly changing directions to shoot towards him, immediately closing the distance between the two Zora. There wasn’t enough room for either of them to properly use their weapons, but the other soldier tried to anyways, reeling their spear back as a battle cry ripped out of their throat.

Brivere held his sword flat against himself, catching the point of the soldier’s weapon into one of the decorative holes in his own. Before the soldier could pierce him with their spear, the Oracle Knight roughly flicked his sword to the left, forcing the other Zora to turn sideways as they clutched onto their weapon. They quickly tried to untangle their spear from his sword, and Brivere harshly yanked his own weapon back, pulling the soldier towards him as he slammed his knee into their ribs.

A flurry of bubbles burst out of the soldier’s mouth along with a cry of pain, all of it getting lost in the vast water of the battle dome. Brivere didn’t even allow them any time to take in another breath, mercilessly ramming his clenched fists into their abdomen, striking blow after blow, pouring all of his fury from today’s torment into every satisfying hit. The other Zora eventually stopped squirming, and Brivere quickly took their limp body into his arms, his suppressed anger appeased.

For now.

Apparently, the three soldiers remaining decided to show some courtesy to their fallen comrade, as they didn’t attack the Oracle Knight as he brought the passed out Zora back to the surface. But the second he threw the other soldier over the edge of the pool to the healer standing by, one of the larger competitors suddenly wrapped his arms around the golden knight. The soldier roughly pulled Brivere underwater with his arms pinned to his sides, forcing him to drop his longsword.

The Oracle Knight thrashed in the soldier’s arms, who refused to release him even as he bit and scratched the other Zora. Noticing the two other challengers swimming towards him, a blue soldier woman and Tiburo, spears pointed directly at his chest, Brivere realized that he was trapped.

The other soldier looked down in confusion when the golden knight suddenly stilled in his arms, a smug smile coming over his face as he had believed that Brivere had simply given up. Thinking this as well, the blue soldier felt victory flood through her veins, rushing past Tiburo with her spear pointed directly at the Oracle Knight.

When the sharpened end of her weapon was just a few feet away, Brivere suddenly flailed around in the soldier’s iron embrace, roughly kicking his legs to force his captor to spin around out of surprise. Using the soldier as a Zora-meat-shield, Brivere blocked himself from the spear’s attack as its wielder didn’t have enough time to stop, driving the weapon’s sharp point into her own comrade’s back.

Brivere’s “shield” screamed in pain, letting go of the golden knight, who roughly kicked the soldier in the stomach and sent him flying towards the water’s surface. The Oracle Knight didn’t bother to bring the defeated Zora to the healer in the bleachers, figuring that he had at least been merciful enough to push the soldier out of the way. However, Brivere was still weaponless against the remaining two competitors: the blue soldier woman who had pierced her fellow soldier, and Tiburo, who was hanging back in fear.

The Oracle Knight’s eyes locked with the soldier woman’s, both of them glaring at each other for a split second before Brivere tore his gaze away, his body cutting through the water like a sword in the open air. And speaking of swords, the golden knight was extremely pissed that he couldn’t find his own, as it had both sentimental and fighting value yet was nowhere to be found.

A growl rumbled in his throat as the blue soldier sped after him, also weaponless, as she had left her spear in the Zora that Brivere had just defeated. Who, by the way, Tiburo was helping out of the water and handing over to the healer off to the side. Perhaps it was a genuine act of kindness, but something told the golden knight that the cowardly Zora was really just trying to put off the inevitable fight between the two of them.

The blue soldier caught Brivere by surprise by shooting ahead of him, suddenly stiffening her body and forcing the golden knight to slam into her armor head-on. Pain erupted across Brivere’s crest, immediately disorienting him as he tried to blink away the darkness that clouded the edges of his vision.

Grabbing onto his wrists, the blue soldier pulled her knees to her chest and quickly shot her legs out, stomping the balls of her feet into the golden knight’s stomach. All of the air was knocked out of Brivere’s body, turning into a storm of bubbles that surrounded the two Zora as they continued to brawl. Both of them grabbed at and twisted around each other, landing deadly blows either with their clenched fists or powerful kicks of their legs.

Suddenly, Brivere pulled away, pushing her off of him as he shot upwards and burst out of the surface of the water. The blue soldier stared after him in confusion, feeling slight satisfaction rise in her chest at the thought that he had run away in fear. However, the smirk on her face was immediately wiped off when the Oracle Knight dove back into the water, rocketing straight towards her.

Before she could get out of his path, Brivere slammed into the blue soldier, grabbing onto her as he barreled towards the bottom of the battle dome. Screaming, she flailed around in his arms, trying to get out of his deadly embrace to no avail. Her eyes widened as she realized that he was plunging both of them towards the gemstone floor at an alarming speed.

“Are you fucking crazy?!” she shouted, her strangled voice lost in the water rushing past her.

With a grunt, Brivere shoved the blue Zora under himself at the last possible second, slamming her into the floor while ramming into her with his own body. She immediately passed out, her stiff body bouncing off of the ground before limply floating in the water. Brivere quickly took her into his arms as he squatted down on and launched off of the bottom of the dome, rocketing towards the sunlight above.

Once he broke through the surface of the water, he swiftly darted over to the side of the pool, handing off the blue soldier to the closest Zora he could find. He ignored how all of the spectators in the arena gawked at him in astonishment and how their cheers swelled to a roaring crescendo, screaming praise for the Oracle Knight.

It didn’t matter, because it wasn’t over yet.

Brivere quickly scanned the arena, immediately finding the last competitor, who was bobbing in the water opposite to golden knight and smugly waving around _his_ missing longsword.

“Don’t think that I don’t know whose sword this is!” Tiburo hollered. “It’s sweet that it’s from your whore of a mother and everything, but you were foolish to not realize that it will just serve to be a point of weakness from such sentimental value.”

Brivere scowled and bent his body to shoot towards the soldier, but Tiburo held the longsword out of the water and dangled it over the edge of the dome. The golden knight’s eyes widened as he remembered the arena’s vast filtration system that was right below it.

Tiburo smirked when he saw the realization that dawned on Brivere’s face. “I heard that anything lost down there can never be found forever.” the soldier sang, jolting his hand to make it look like he was about to drop the sword. Tiburo obnoxiously laughed when Brivere flinched, his panic extremely visible even from the other side of the arena. “If you come any closer, I wouldn’t be afraid to test the rumor out.”

A wave of boos and jeers from the soldiers in the stands filled up the stadium, all of them disappointed and annoyed by Tiburo’s underhanded tactics. “Just fuckin fight him you pussy!” one particularly bold Zora hollered, everyone else nodding and yelling in agreement.

Tiburo shrugged them off, completely complacent with his strategy. All he had to do was make the Oracle Knight surrender, and in the extremely unlikely event that he didn’t, Tiburo would at least have a weapon on himself, and the golden Zora would have to come over to him at _some_ time.

Brivere, on the other hand, was outraged. He was completely fed up with these self-righteous bastards, who thought that they could take what was theirs, who thought that they were above him, who put down his years of hard work for their own selfish desires.

Perhaps it was unfair to the poor soldier on the other side of the stadium, but the Zora Brivere saw that was smugly dangling his mother’s sword over the rushing currents below wasn’t Tiburo.

It was Leuqas.

A thunderous roar ripped out of Brivere’s throat as he shot underwater, unbridled rage blazing through his body with an intensity so overwhelming that it threatened to burn the golden knight alive. However, he used its vengeful energy to his advantage as his legs kicked with an ungodly strength, his body flexing and arching to perfectly pull off his signature technique. Perhaps the fury that was blinding him should have ruined the move, but luckily for the golden knight, years of practicing this skill nearly every day had permanently branded the training into his muscle memory.

To everyone outside of the water, who watched him shock and confusion, it appeared as though the Oracle Knight had gone insane and finally snapped. Brivere was ferociously swimming around in circles, darting along the sides of the glass dome so quickly that the outline of his body was impossible to see. He immediately became a golden blur, an unholy halo that viciously spun underwater, shining in the intense sunlight from above.

Tiburo was so entranced by the strange sight that he didn’t realize that he was drifting away from the pool’s edge, slowly getting sucked into the whirlpool that the Oracle Knight was creating. He only noticed when it was too late, when the currents were too strong to swim against, and the cowardly Zora screamed as he was swept away by the maelstrom’s powerful grasp.

The soldiers in the stands cheered, completely amazed, having never seen this technique before. They howled with laughter as Tiburo was pulled around in circles that got smaller and smaller until the poor soldier was sucked into the center of the vortex and disappeared underwater.

Tiburo was completely disoriented, not only from his weak body still wildly spinning around, but also because the water was chaotic and frothy as it rushed around him, slightly pink as it was tinged with blood from earlier in the fight.

He was blinded by the raging storm of bubbles that thundered around him, but the soldier still managed to see a golden blur still circling around himself, like a shark waiting for its prey to become weak enough to strike and kill. The Oracle Knight gradually closed in, eventually slamming into Tiburo and wrapping his strong arms around the soldier with an iron, deadly embrace.

Tiburo was helplessly dragged to the bottom of the cyclone as Brivere angled himself downwards, both Zora plunging deeper and deeper into the savage waters as its currents mercilessly tore at their injured bodies. Once they were close to the gemstone floor of the dome, the golden knight abruptly pulled up, kicking off of the floor and swimming right into the center of the spiral. The two of them became a bolt of lightning that shot upwards, the water around them turning into a screaming tunnel that carried the two Zora high above the air. Its unforgiving currents whipped and clawed at them as they rocketed higher and higher, the turbulent waters threatening to rip them apart and stitch them back together, begging to slice them into pieces before swallowing the two Zora whole.

Despite having done this countless times before, the process still hurt, but Brivere was already used to the painful sensation since he had practiced this technique enough times to completely perfect it. And such dedication clearly paid off, as every soldier in the bleachers gawked at the two Zora as they flew up the column of water that burst out the center of the whirlpool.

The same couldn’t be said for Tiburo, however, who was screaming as they soared upwards, begging Hylia herself to save him from this painful experience. If memory served him correctly, Brivere mused that the first time doing this was the most painful, as no one would expect to _ever_ feel such unbearable suffering.

In a show of mercy, and perhaps remembering that the soldier caged in his arms _wasn’t_ Leuqas, Brivere angled his body nearly halfway up the column of water and shot out of it, bringing Tiburo along with him. Everyone in the stands watched in awe as the two Zora sailed through the air, the Oracle Knight slamming into the stone bleachers with Tiburo pinned underneath him and breaking his fall.

If he had used the full height of the water spout, there was no doubt that Brivere would have easily snapped the poor soldier’s back upon impact. But as the Oracle Knight stood up, he was still impressed that Tiburo somehow hadn’t already passed out, albeit completely exhausted and the poor soldier looking like he was under death’s archway. Tiburo was clutching onto Brivere’s longsword like a lifeline, which the Oracle Knight roughly snatched out of his shaking hands.

The stadium was completely silent as Brivere straightened up, examining Tiburo before turning to scan the stadium of awestruck soldiers. They were all paralyzed, sitting down in the bleachers with a flurry of emotions sloshing around inside of themselves, ranging from regret to shame to amazement. However, when the Oracle Knight spoke up and broke the tense silence, they all flinched at the calm tone in his unsettlingly steady voice.

“If all of you _must_ know, my relationship with my lord and the Hylian Champion has been occurring for only a year now.” Brivere said loudly, narrowing his eyes. “And if _any_ of you are even _capable_ of having such simple thought processes, you will remember that I have been the Oracle Knight during that time, and the Knight Captain for years even before then.”

He slammed the sharp end of his silver scale longsword into the ground right next to Tiburo’s head, watching with slight satisfaction as the trembling, defeated Zora finally passed out in terror. Everyone flinched at the sharp noise the weapon made as it pierced the stone bleacher, then jumped in their seats when the Oracle Knight turned to glare at all of them. An intimidating aura surrounded him that was even worse than the Knight Captain’s, which no one thought was even possible.

“Do _not_ forget this lesson.” the golden knight barked. “I am no different now than I was back then. I continue to be one of the best fighters in this domain, I have worked hard to be where I am now, and I will be more than willing to show this again should any of you dare to be so rudely disobedient in the future.”

Pointing a finger to the arena’s slightly red water, Brivere’s eyes narrowed. “The Knight Captain and I will evaluate each of you during some basic diving exercises and determine which groups we can place you all into for more underwater battle training.” he firmly ordered. “And judging by the poor performance I just experienced against five of your own, everyone here definitely needs more of that. But first, all of you must complete fifty laps before we get started.”

“Make it one hundred laps!” Betaal sneered, crossing her arms.

“One hundred laps.” Brivere loudly repeated, biting back a smile. “Is that clear?”

“Yes sir!” the soldiers yelped back in unison, quickly scrambling off of the bleachers to dive into the water, all of them racing around the pool’s edges in an attempt to obey the command as fast as possible. Sighing, Brivere pulled his sword out of the ground, waving over the healer to take care of Tiburo before putting his father’s choker back onto his broad shoulders. The Oracle Knight walked over to the Knight Captain, who was still on the platform high above the arena’s waters, closely observing every soldier as they tried to complete their one hundred laps.

“You satisfied?” she chuckled when the golden knight stood next to her.

Brivere nodded, but after a moment of hesitation, slightly shook his head. “It was not necessarily to punish them for their audacity.” he said unconvincingly. “As I stated before, I simply wished to earn their respect, or rather, prove why I deserve it in the first place.”

“But you _do_ have to admit that it felt pretty damn good to beat the hell out of them, right?”

“…I suppose.”

Betaal laughed and focused back on the swimming soldiers, prompting Brivere to do the same. Both of them silently took note of those who stood out, such as one black Zora who had finished the laps far before anyone else or the purple soldier that had the most powerful kicks. When everyone had completed their one hundred laps, Betaal immediately barked out the next set of exercises, not giving any of them even a second to catch their breath. Not only did none of them deserve to rest because of their disobedience from earlier, but half an hour had already been wasted from the earlier fight.

As Brivere had promised after the battle, he and the Knight Captain were observing each soldier during the diving exercises, mentally categorizing them into different groups based on their skills and weaknesses. However, he was brought out of his thoughts when Betaal’s rough voice caught his attention.

“You know how after your fight, you said all that stuff about being the same Zora as you were before?” she said, not looking up from the soldiers’ training.

Brivere glanced over at her before he focused his gaze back on the arena’s waters. “Yes. Do you not believe what I said to be true?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

Throwing her head back, Betaal heartily laughed and clapped a hand on the golden knight’s shoulder. “Ease up, it’s a compliment.” she snorted.

Frowning, Brivere peered at her from the corners of his eyes. “I do not see how your statements can be taken as such.”

Betaal hummed and let go of his shoulder, crossing her arms as her one eye closed. She was quiet for a few moments before speaking up again. “I’d say you’ve become much more approachable.” she said, a shit eating grin spreading across her face. Betaal’s only eye reopened, now having a mischievous gleam in its golden hue as it focused on the Oracle Knight. “Perhaps you don’t have much of that spear up your ass since now you have something else-!”

“Betaal.” Brivere spat.

The Undercity Knight howled with laughter as Brivere continued to stand next to her, completely unimpressed. When she calmed down, she wiped tears away from her only eye, a more sincere smile stretching across her face. “See? That’s what I mean. You used to practically _never_ say other Zora’s names, yet I’ve heard you say them more and more now, albeit only with me, your lovers, and your little brother. And yeah, maybe not that often, but hey, progress is progress.”

Brivere hesitantly nodded his head, and she continued. “I think I used to fucking hate you so much before because you always acted like you were better than everyone else.” Betaal tittered. “Sure, you didn’t mean to, but the resting bitch face paired with the aloof personality made it hard to think otherwise.”

Rolling his golden eyes, Brivere sighed. “Are you going to get to your point or are you just going to keep insulting me?”

She laughed. “Like I said, it’s a compliment that you’ve changed, since you were such an asshole before. Now, you’re more approachable, more casual, _so_ much easier to talk to… I think it’s good that your lovers have gotten you to open up.” Betaal said as she lightly slugged him on the arm, a genuinely pleased grin on her face. “The Brivere hiding underneath the emotionless mask is a Zora that I like to see. And I guarantee everyone else can like him as well, but only if you can manage to actually _show_ it to them in the first place.”

Brivere slowly bobbed his head up and down, a small, rare smile appearing across his face that made Betaal’s stretch even wider. “…Thank you.” he said.

“No problem.” she replied. “And ignore everyone else. This relationship is clearly good for you, so I’ll beat up anyone else who opposes it.”

“The same sentiment applies to you, Betaal.”

Both of them chuckled before nodding at each other, the two Zora resuming their duties as the Oracle Knight and Knight Captain as they went back to observing the soldiers training below them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> This should be the last for Trying To Tie Loose Ends, at least for now.  
> This was only supposed to be one chapter added onto Infatuation.  
> And whoops, it turned into 7 chapters cause i got carried away.  
> It's literally an AU, for an AU (Infatuation), for an AU (TTTLE), for another AU (Catharsis), for a really specific fanfiction (Coma Baby).  
> So for the niche group who reads this, thank you for reading! and i hope you enjoy  
> ;  
> Specifically about ch. 4:  
> god i fuckin love brivere's whirlpool thing  
> it's so clever and badass  
> i hope i wrote it right!  
> i havent really written any action stuff since estuu's Holy Knight trials in TTTLE  
> i also like to think that Brivere's whirlpool technique isnt well known, so every time a zora sees it theyre like oh deAR HYLIA WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT  
> also tiburo is the kinda asshole who has like no shame, and can turn from a smug asshole to a coward whenever he doesnt have the advantage  
> man i just cant write nice people can i  
> first leuqas then odonta (which you'll see next ch. ;))


	5. An Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the social stigma surrounding his love triad with Sidon and Link starts to become unbearable, Brivere finds sanctuary in the only family he has left: his beloved younger brother, Estuu. 
> 
> Yet such comfort cannot last forever, and when the Oracle Knight is forced to face a past that he wishes to forget, an unexpected Zora threatens to undo all of the healing he had been working so hard to achieve since then. 
> 
> (A continuation of Infatuation, based on Coma Baby, but PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES
> 
> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao. My beta reader @ipromiseitsnotanobsession on tumblr and ffnet gave me the title however, shoutout to alina you the bestttt

Estuu was sitting in the corner of the palace’s library with his older brother, close enough for comfort but not enough for touch, exactly the way they liked it. Both of them had a book cracked open, Brivere studying the history of Zora soul-bonding and Estuu, unsurprisingly, reading _The Cursed Girl_ for the sixteenth time that day. 

The Holy Knight had been in the library every day for a few weeks now, as Brivere didn’t want the younger Zora to get unnecessarily hurt in the social chaos of his taboo relationship with the prince and the Hylian Champion. The younger Zora didn’t quite understand the situation, and protested at first since he wanted to be with his older brother, but the Oracle Knight had sent him off to the palace’s library anyways. However, at least Estuu didn’t mind being assigned there, as it meant that he essentially just got to read the whole day, which is what he did anyways.

Or rather, that’s what he _would_ do anyways if it wasn’t for his job as the Holy Knight. Adjusting to the new location was a bit strange at first, since he usually spent his time following his older brother around, the Oracle Knight. And as much as Estuu hated to admit it, he felt a little lonely being alone in the library, and usually threw himself into his favorite books to forget his troubles.

However, it wasn’t as if he _never_ saw his older brother, as the two of them still shared a room and always slept with each other at night, save for the times that Brivere went to the prince’s quarters. Even then, the overprotective Zora always laid in their joint waterbed until Estuu had fallen asleep, only slipping away to be with his lovers when he was absolutely certain that it wouldn’t disturb his younger brother.

Still, that didn’t mean that Estuu didn’t enjoy his brother’s company in the library at the moment. Sure, both of them were sitting in complete silence, except for the rustling sound of a turned page, but that was just how they liked to spend their time together. Words didn’t need to be said between the two brothers who always knew what the other was thinking and understood each other better than anyone else could, if they even bothered to try, anyways.

And because of that bond, Estuu picked up on the inner turmoil that his older brother was trying to hide beneath the infamous emotionless mask. It was evident when hours earlier, the Oracle Knight had practically dove into the library, looking like death itself as his exhausted golden form plopped down next to Estuu. The younger Zora immediately knew something was off, but decided not to push it, instead gently shoving a book into Brivere’s hands. Reading the cover, _Zora Soul-Bonding_ , the golden knight’s face pinched, but eventually softened as he nodded thankfully to his younger brother. Estuu bobbed his head up and down, returning to his fourteenth examination of _The Cursed Girl_.

Which led the two brothers to where they were now, still reading the same thick books from when Brivere had first come in. Estuu was slightly on edge, wanting to say something about his brother’s burdens. A low whine rumbled in his throat, making his older brother look at him in concern.

“Holy Knight, are you alright?” the golden knight asked, setting his book down and turning to completely face the young Zora. Estuu nodded his head, then used his only hand to point at his older brother, who raised his brow in surprise.

“…Are you asking if I am alright as well?” Brivere questioned, slightly smiling as his younger brother quickly bobbed his head up and down. “I appreciate your concern, but I am fine, Estuu.”

The young Zora shook his head, not allowing his older brother get away with hiding away inner demons again. It was the least he could do, as Estuu had always turned to Brivere as a source of comfort, so he had to do it as well to make things fair.

“Nothing escapes your careful gaze.” Brivere mused, unable to refuse his younger brother’s insistence. “You are too smart and observant for your own good.”

Both of them quietly sat there as the golden knight tried to gather his thoughts, finally breaking the silence with a long, heavy sigh that deflated his weary form. “Estuu, we have both faced an unreasonable amount of hardship practically since birth.” Brivere began slowly. “Do you ever think that it is unfair for us to suffer so much, that neither of us truly deserve the cruel hand fate dealt both of us?”

When he nodded, his older brother softly chuckled. “Of course. But at the very least, I know that I was given you to make it all bearable, and I hope that I am the same for you.”

Estuu nodded, placing his hand over his heart, then pointing a finger at Brivere’s. Both of them were rather reserved and closed off Zora, but in that moment, completely alone in the library, the two brothers let little, rare smiles slip onto their faces.

“However, I will not lie, Estuu.” he said quietly. “My relationship with the Hylian Champion and the prince has also given me such unmeasurable happiness and satisfaction. Of course, they could never replace my love for you, but I cannot bear to lose either of them either.”

Shaking his head, Estuu’s head tail flopped against his back as his lips pursed. His older brother nodded in understanding, knowing that the young Zora approved of his lovers and didn’t feel any less cared for in the slightest.

“Yet… it feels like the three of us just weren’t meant to be together.” Brivere said, golden eyes growing distant. “Such toxic vitriol from all over the domain has made it clear that our actions are certainly abhorrent. As much as I wish to be with them, it feels selfish to drag them down with me, a cursed Zora that can apparently never escape his wretched future no matter what he does.”

Estuu tilted his head and pointed at Prion’s choker, which was fitted around the Oracle Knight’s shoulders and upper chest. Confused, Brivere looked down, quietly laughing when he realized what the younger Zora meant. “Oh, Estuu, I didn’t mean literally.” he chuckled. “I have been having a difficult time using my future ability recently anyways. Admittedly, the stress from the social chaos that has come out of my relationship’s reveal… it has been too much.”

Nodding, Estuu quickly picked up his favorite book, _The Cursed Girl_ , quickly cracking it open to the exact page he was looking for and pointing at the passage inked onto its worn pages.

Brivere was too stunned to actually read it at first, always forgetting that his younger brother was impressive enough to have actually memorized the whole book and occasionally use it to show more complex concepts that a few hand gestures or head shakes couldn’t properly explain. Shaking off his surprise, the golden knight focused on the words his younger brother was gesturing at.

_General Kita gazed outside of the window, leaning on its metal edge as moonlight gently bathed her from above. She was so caught up in the moment that she didn’t realize that Lorelei had quietly snuck up behind her until the other Zora woman had placed a soft hand on top of her own. Glancing up, General Kita fondly gazed at her lover, who made miracles, the turbulent waters of life becoming still pools from her very presence._

_Neither of them said anything as they both stared up at the moon, lightly squeezing each other’s hands, completely alone. And in that moment, nothing in the world mattered, not their pasts, not the war, not the vitriol of other people…_

_Because what did it matter when the only person you cared for still loved you through it all?_

A small smile quirked on Brivere’s taut lips as he finished reading the passage. “Is there _anything_ this book doesn’t have?” he tittered.

Estuu rolled his eyes, but a tiny smile of his own appeared as he set the book down in his lap. Both brothers sat there in comfortable silence, not looking at or focusing on anything in particular, just enjoying each other’s presences. Finally, Brivere broke the silence when he slapped his hands on his knees, grunting as he stood up.

“Shall we go to bed, then? It had become awfully late already.” the golden knight said over his shoulder as he slowly walked out of the library. Despite it being a question, there was clearly no room for argument, and Estuu huffed in annoyance as he stood up and scurried after his beloved older brother.

;

Brivere laid on his shared waterbed, fondly watching his beloved little brother who had already fallen asleep. At least, the golden knight assumed that Estuu had, judging by his small chest that gently rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm. Brivere had taken care of the young Zora practically since he had hatched, watching him grow up and become the strong, independent Holy Knight. Still, no matter how old Estuu got, he would always be Brivere’s younger brother.

And the golden knight would protect the only family he had left, no matter what.

That was why he had assigned his Holy Knight to the library for the past week, wanting to keep Estuu out of the toxic society that threatened to tear Brivere and his lovers apart. The Oracle Knight had gotten the short end of the stick, becoming the main target for vitriol both due to his position and complicated past. However, he was fine with silently enduring such pain, as long as it would shield his lovers and his younger brother in the process.

Still, it became too much too quickly. Brivere had dashed into the library, unable to take the constant questions, the blazing leers, the hard glares from every Zora he came across. It usually wasn’t so bad, but his lovers, who had more status and better circumstances, couldn’t be with him today, leaving him alone to be the subject of ridicule for the whole domain. And with how his lovers had gotten him to be more open, it became harder and harder for him to maintain his infamous mask of indifference as he was pierced with such volatile words over and over again.

Brivere bitterly mused that perhaps it _wasn’t_ for the best that their irresistible, addictive love had softened him so much, because it just made all of the gossip hurt even more than it used to.

The Oracle Knight couldn’t lie that he had only gone to the palace’s library in order to find some comfort from his beloved younger brother, which was ironic, since the older are supposed to care for the younger, not the other way around. But the complete silence, yet total understanding, between the two of them was exactly what Brivere needed when he couldn’t bring himself to say anything about his suppressed turmoil.

Gently, Brivere slowly rose up, trying not to shift the waterbed too much as he got off of it. Luckily, Estuu was already in deep sleep, continuing to quietly snooze as the golden knight softly pattered over to the archway. Before he left for his prince’s quarters, however, Brivere looked back and affectionately gazed at the young Zora, whose sunset scales softly glowed in the moonlight flooding in from the windows of their shared room.

Romantic love was amazing, sure, and Brivere was blessed enough to have two people he trusted share it with him, but nothing quite beat the familial bond he had with his little brother.

Quietly chuckling to himself, the golden knight slipped out of his shared room, quickly but silently walking down the long, winding halls of the palace. He couldn’t deny that he was excited at the prospect of relaxing with his lovers in the prince’s quarters like he usually did, especially after such an exhausting day, both physically and emotionally.

However, the sound of someone clearing their throat stopped him in his tracks. Snapping his head to the source of the noise, Brivere found a light red Zora tucked behind a pillar a few yards away from him. He almost kept walking, thinking that it was not meant for him, but the way her blazing golden eyes bored into him reassured the Oracle Knight that she wanted to talk to _him_.

“…Do you have some business with me?” he asked slowly, raising his brow. “I apologize, but I am in a rush to my prince’s quarters.”

“Not a surprise from a whore like you.” the Zora scoffed, stepping out of the shadows. Not only was he thrown off by the blatant vitriol that seemingly came out of nowhere and completely destroyed his improved mood, but the moonlight gently shining from above made her familiar form easier to make out. His jaw slightly hung open as he stared at the light red Zora that he had only met a few times before, all due to a man neither of them would ever see again.

Odonta. Leuqas’ best friend; when he was alive, that is.

Taking advantage of his paralysis, the light red Zora walked towards him, her small footsteps echoing in the palaces gemstone halls. She stopped a few feet in front of him, arms tightly crossed paired with a gleam of pure hatred in her eyes.

“I absolutely despise people like you.” she spat. “You think that you are so high and mighty when all you have done is climb on top of all the lives that you have destroyed. You are _just_ like your slut of a mother.”

He didn’t have to stay and argue with her. He knew that. But for some reason, Brivere’s feet refused to walk away, tired of hearing the same horrible assumptions over and over again, just from a different mouth each time. Perhaps Odonta had become the very symbol of vitriol and ignorance to the golden knight, representing every person who just didn’t understand him, who he felt like proving something to while fully knowing that they refused to listen.

The Oracle Knight moved closer to her, his chest inches away from her as he narrowed his golden eyes. Although he towered over the smaller Zora, she simply tilted her face up to meet his, not intimidated in the slightest.

Unlike the battle with the five soldiers a few days ago, however, Brivere couldn’t just deck the Zora woman in the face. No amount of physical violence would ever convince her to see his side. This was a battle of wits, fought with sharp tongues. And unfortunately for Brivere, his opponent this time was a furious, clever scholar.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked in an unnaturally calm voice.

Odonta sneered back at him. “You heard me.”

“And just what has misled you to that conclusion?”

“Do I even need to say it?” she bitterly laughed. “First Leuqas, and possibly countless others before him, and _now_ you’re dragging the prince and the Hylian Champion down to your level? Just how many people do you intend to break until your selfish desires are satisfied?”

Brivere sighed. This again. “First off, you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. I have seen no one but the prince and the Hylian Champion. And I know that you are more mad about Nobleman Leuqas, and I am so sorry, but I was unaware that he even had feelings for me until it was too late and-!”

“How can you expect me to believe your lies!” she shrieked in his face, eyes becoming wild with anger. “I was his best friend and helped him gain the courage to pursue you! You cannot claim that you did not know of his intentions when he made it so painfully obvious!”

The golden knight flinched. That was something he still struggled with as well, as he had no idea how he could have been so oblivious during his time with the nobleman. “…I am not very good at perceiving other’s emotions.” he explained slowly. “The nobleman was also a rather convincing actor.”

“He was a good man!” Odonta screamed, jabbing a finger into Brivere’s chest, as if trying to stab him with her claws as well as her words. As if to finally make things even and compensate for the life he had taken. “Leuqas was my best friend! You should have _seen_ how deeply he cared for you! I confess, he was misled by his father to join the Proper Order, but that was only to protect _you_!”

Anger rose in Brivere’s chest, bursting him at the seams. “If he cared for me so much, then why did he assault me in the gazebo?!” he shouted back in her face.

Odonta froze, staring up at the golden knight with wide eyes. “…what?” she asked quietly.

Brivere became paralyzed as well, silently beating himself up for letting the secret of his sexual assault by the nobleman slip. Only four people knew of it; him, his two lovers, and his attacker.

“Please, just forget I said anything.” he said quickly, pulling himself away from her.

But before he could retreat, Odonta harshly grabbed into his arm, her claws digging into his golden scales as she glared at him. “What. Happened.” she spat.

“That is a matter between me and Nobleman Leuqas.” he shot back, yanking his arm out of her clenched fingers.

Odonta’s eyes went wide with rage. “And he is _dead_.” she furiously hissed through clenched, sharp teeth. “His parents are in jail because of you, along with most of his family, friends, and suitors. I am the only one who was so close to him that is still alive and was not involved with the Proper Order.”

A tired sigh came out of her, and she looked up at Brivere with weak, golden eyes. “Please. I just _need_ to know.”

“As if you deserve to know after all you have said to me.”

“Then you are just as despicable as I think you are.”

This was a battle Brivere was quickly losing. He didn’t even really know this woman, yet for some reason, he felt the need to prove to her that she was misunderstanding everything. Maybe he was trying to convince _himself_ that everything that had happened was not his fault.

Or perhaps he was seeking the answers that he could never get from his former friend, as Lequas was dead because of the Oracle Knight himself.

“Leuqas sexually assaulted me.” he said quietly, his words slightly echoing down the empty hallway of the grand palace.

Both of them stared at each other in silence for a few moments before Odonta spoke up. “Do not lie to me.”

“I am not.”

Her fists clenched at her sides. “He was a good man.” she harshly whispered, tears pricking in the corners of her eyes. “How _dare_ you slander his name with such horrible accusations.”

“That is not-!”

“How can you expect me, no, _anyone_ to believe that!” Odonta shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at him, her sharpened teeth bared. “Leuqas was a good man! Even if he did do it, you should be honored that he went through so much trouble in the first place for someone like _you_!”

Brivere’s eyes narrowed. “How dare-!”

“You are the Oracle Knight, and claim to be one of the best warriors in the Zora Domain, yet cannot fend off a simple nobleman who never even had one day of military training in his short life?!” she shouted, not allowing him to get a word in, destroying his shield and lunging in for the kill. “You should have anticipated it, you should have sensed his feelings for you, you could have prevented it earlier on but you _didn’t_! AND _MY_ BEST FRIEND DIED BECAUSE OF _YOUR_ INABILITY TO FUNCTION LIKE A NORMAL ZORA!”

Stepping closer, she grabbed onto his long forefins, forcing his face to come right in front of hers as she viciously whispered, her sharp tongue slashing his heart into shreds. “I will _never_ understand why Leuqas decided that an aloof, unlikeable Zora like _you_ was even worth his time of day.” she harshly spat in a low voice. “But what I _do_ know is that it was a miracle that you got even _one_ person to love someone as poisonous as you in the first place, so you must understand why the whole domain finds it suspicious that you somehow tricked _two_ people into infidelity when they were already perfectly fine on their own.”

Although this woman was saying nothing but slander, clearly just trying to inflict as much damage as possible, Brivere couldn’t find it in himself to move, to walk away, to block out her venomous words that strangely echoed his own insecurities which constantly whispered inside of his head.

It was just like at the gazebo, just like in the prince’s room when Leuqas had come to murder Sidon, just like every moment from that day on that the strong Oracle Knight became paralyzed whenever he thought of the cursed nobleman.

And just like back at the gazebo, no one was coming to help.

Letting go of him, Odonta stood back, admiring the destruction she had wreaked onto the Oracle Knight, who blankly stared back, lips slightly ajar, letting every single one of her toxic words burn into his skin and eat away at him until he was nothing but a golden husk.

A proud smirk danced on her lips as she dealt the finishing blows. “I wonder if you told your “lovers” this made up tale as well, just to gain their sympathy and further wrap them around your fingers so that they can never escape your poisonous clutches.”

“I bet that’s how you got them to even agree to this abhorrent triad in the first place, using your complicated past to make them pity you so much that they thought they could fix you with some love and care.” Odonta sneered. “One would think that you would have learned your lesson when you found your whore of a mother’s dead body after she killed herself for the exact same situation, but I suppose you really _are_ that foolish.”

Stepping closer, she smiled up at the paralyzed knight, but there was no sense of friendliness exuding from her tense body. “But as admirable as it is, they _can’t_ fix you. _No one_ can. And perhaps I pity you as well, because you’re so broken that maybe you don’t even realize what you are doing is wrong. So allow me to make this clear: Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion were together first, and they were perfectly fine. _You’re_ the one who ruined all of that. They wouldn’t even have to _deal_ with all of this social chaos if it weren’t for you squeezing yourself into somewhere you didn’t belong.”

 “You are nothing but a cursed Zora that killed his mother, killed his father, killed _my_ friend, warded everyone off, damaged your little brother…” she paused, reveling in the pain that broke through Brivere’s emotionless mask, “You destroy everything you touch. Do you wish for that to happen to the prince and the Hylian Champion as well?”

Odonta’s voice became sickeningly sweet, completely satisfied at watching the strong Oracle Knight shatter right in front of her. Perhaps _this_ was what Leuqas was obsessed with all along. “You had the most to lose when you forced yourself into _their_ relationship, and by Hylia’s grace, you _will_. So if you can’t break off whatever… _this_ is,” she said with a disgusted flick of her hand, “If you can’t do it for them, then you should just be as selfish as you have been your whole life and do it for yourself to save face.”

With a soft chuckle and a firm pat on the Oracle Knight’s shoulder, as if they were just old friends catching up with each other, Odonta mockingly waved goodbye and walked a few feet before abruptly stopping at the end of the hallway. She glanced over her shoulder, eyes half lidded in victory as she scanned her defeated victim.

“If you’re going to be so much like your whore of a mother, perhaps you should just kill yourself like her as well. History is doomed to repeat itself.” she giggled, disappearing into the darkness of the palace’s long hall, leaving the Oracle Knight alone in the cold night air.

Brivere didn’t know where to go. Although he had completely anticipated all of the social backlash that had happened ever since he and his lovers had come clean about their relationship with one another, he didn’t expect to have been so damaged by the vitriol that came with it. After over a century of dealing with the same social torment that stemmed from his convoluted parentage, the golden knight thought that he could handle more of it, and that his _lovers_ would be the ones who wouldn’t be able to do so.

But in reality, it appears that it was actually the other way around.

Odonta’s words mixed in with everyone else’s, all of their voices adding to his own that whispered inside of the golden knight’s head, each one filling his mind with the same fears and insecurities over and over again.

Eventually, it all came to an unbearable crescendo, and Brivere found himself clutching at his head, choking back the sobs that trashed inside of his chest as he collapsed onto his knees. He wanted to allow himself a rare moment of emotional vulnerability, to open up so that the poisonous thoughts trapped inside of him would fly away, so they would stop silently killing the golden knight as his lovers reassured him like they always did. More than anything, he just wanted to find Link and Sidon.

But he couldn’t.

He couldn’t do this to them anymore. Not to the two people who absolutely didn’t deserve to be dragged down as low as he was.

If he truly loved them, then he would protect them, no matter how much it hurt him in return.

Besides, Odonta was right. There was no way two wonderful people like Link and Sidon could possibly care for someone like _him_.

Getting onto his feet, the Oracle Knight staggered towards the prince’s quarters, breath ragged, trying to hide in the shadows to avoid running into any more hostile palace workers.

This… whatever _this_ was, going on between the three of them…

It needed to stop, _now_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> This should be the last for Trying To Tie Loose Ends, at least for now.  
> This was only supposed to be one chapter added onto Infatuation.  
> And whoops, it turned into 7 chapters cause i got carried away.  
> It's literally an AU, for an AU (Infatuation), for an AU (TTTLE), for another AU (Catharsis), for a really specific fanfiction (Coma Baby).  
> So for the niche group who reads this, thank you for reading! and i hope you enjoy  
> ;  
> Just wanna clear this up:  
> the lesson that Estuu teaches is that none of the vitriol should matter, because brivere doesnt care about any of those people. He only cares about Sidon and Link as lovers, so if they love him back, then everything should be fine.  
> However, the lesson Odonta teaches is that they dont truly love him, so to brivere, that kinda nullifies estuu's lesson and means that he is suffering and making those he loves suffer for nothing.  
> honestly i never expected odonta to show up when i was first writing this series lmao  
> its ok if you dont remember her, she was only somewhat relevant in infatuation's second chapter


	6. Fatherly Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Dorephan and the Oracle Knight may not have the best past with each other, as the king could have prevented years of social torment and trauma for the golden Zora's family, if only he had not been too stubborn and afraid to do so when he first heard of Brivere's existence. 
> 
> However, despite their awkward relationship, Brivere has slowly began to forgive the regretful king and see him more as a guardian. Both of them are certainly able to bond over their love and admiration for the late First Knight Prion, and hopefully that connection will be enough for King Dorephan to get close enough to the reserved Oracle Knight to stop him from doing something he may regret. 
> 
> (A continuation of Infatuation, based on Coma Baby, but PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao. My beta reader @ipromiseitsnotanobsession on tumblr and ffnet gave me the title however, shoutout to alina you the bestttt

Walking through the halls of the palace, King Dorephan enjoyed the way that the soft moonlight made the gemstone walls shine during the nighttime. It had been a rather long day, and he was currently being accompanied by several guards, all of them dedicated to getting their king back to his room safely.

The Guard Captain walking in front of the entourage suddenly stopped, holding his hand up for everyone else to follow suit. Raising his brow, King Dorephan looked forward, not having to look over anyone’s shoulder as he towered over all of them.

He immediately saw what had caught the Guard Captain’s attention. A dark form was quickly darting in the shadows of the palace’s pillars, and despite the bright moonlight above, it was difficult to tell who, or _what_ , exactly it was.

“Halt, who goes there?” the Guard Captain asked loudly. The dark figure froze, clearly trying not to make a noise as it seemed to press itself against the wall, still hiding in the shadows.

Everyone raised their weapons as the Guard Captain stepped forward, pointing his silver scale spear at the stranger. “We can see you, trespasser.” he barked. “Step forward now or face the strength of the Zora Domain’s military.”

Hesitantly, the figure slowly walked towards them with its hands up, and everyone gawked at the Oracle Knight as he stepped into the moonlight. “It is just me, Guard Captain.” Brivere grunted.

Sighing in relief and slight annoyance, the Guard Captain signaled for everyone to lower their weapons, raising his brow as he stared at the golden knight. “May I ask what you are doing so late at night?”

“Just trying to get back to my room.”

“Is it not the other way?”

“…My lord’s room.”

The guards surrounding the king flinched, remembering the controversy that surrounded the Oracle Knight, Prince Sidon, and the Hylian Champion. Still, their personal feelings on the situation didn’t matter during their professional duties so none of them said anything about it, save for one man.

“Even so,” the Guard Captain continued hesitantly, “Why did you not come out of the shadows immediately when I first called out to you?”

Brivere sighed. “I do not take you as an ignorant man. You are clearly more than aware as to why.”

King Dorephan tilted his head, looking over the golden Zora. To an untrained eye, it would appear that the stern knight was perfectly fine, carrying himself with a sense of authority and strength that was appropriate for someone of his status. However, the old, wise king knew better. He caught onto the way Brivere’s eyes seemed tired yet too wild at the same time, darting around to look at everyone as if looking for the fastest way to leave. The golden knight’s body seemed to slightly tremble, curled a bit more into itself than usual, his broad chest barely heaving up and down yet just enough to notice that he was panicking.

The king observed the pain and fear writhing underneath the cracks in the Oracle Knight’s infamous emotional mask, and he didn’t like what he saw.

“Oracle Knight,” King Dorephan said softly. “May you escort me to my room?”

Everyone jumped, turning to look at the king with an incredulous look on each of their faces. “Are we to join as well, your majesty?” the Guard Captain quietly asked.

Shaking his head, a gentle smile stretched across the old king’s face. “No need. The Oracle Knight is his own one man army.” he explained. “All of you may be dismissed, thank you for your services tonight. Please get a good night’s rest to prepare to protect our domain again tomorrow.”

“Yes, your majesty.” the other soldiers said in unison as they bowed, quickly walking away without looking at the Oracle Knight, who was the only one left with the king.

King Dorephan smiled down at Brivere. “Brivere, shall we go?”

Hesitantly nodding, Brivere walked alongside the king, albeit slightly ahead of the older Zora in order to properly protect him. An awkward silence had settled over them, or at least, it seemed that way to the Oracle Knight. Although, that could be more contributed to the golden Zora’s inner turmoil, which he tried to suppress under a mask of indifference for the sake of professionality around the king. To King Dorephan, however, it was the most comfortable he had been in a long time. Quietly strolling through the palace late at night, the moonlight making the gemstone walls glow in just the right way, a gentle breeze flowing through the halls…

It brought him back to fond memories from so long ago, doing the same thing nearly every night with his beloved friend Prion. And now, King Dorephan got to do it again with his best friend’s son, who resembled the late First Knight so much that sometimes it hurt to even _look_ at the golden Zora.

However, the relationship between him and the Oracle Knight was different than what he had with the boy’s father, which the king was more than honored to have. King Dorephan would take on the role that Prion was unable to fulfil for his son after perishing in battle, fighting in the king’s name for the sake of the Zora Domain. 

It was the least King Dorephan could do, considering that he did nothing for nearly a century as his best friend’s beloved family suffered from severe social backlash that king could have easily prevented. At least, that’s how _he_ saw it, and King Dorephan silently hoped that Prion’s son didn’t see it that way as well.

Clearing his throat, the king caught the attention of the young knight, looking down at Brivere with soft eyes. “Unlike my son, I am not one to beat around the bush, Brivere.” King Dorephan said, a gentle smile stretched across his face. “Although you try to hide it, although no one else noticed it earlier, I see the turmoil and panic that tears you apart from the inside.”

The golden knight flinched. “…I suppose nothing escapes your wise gaze.”

“I suppose not.” the king chuckled. He stopped walking, prompting the Oracle Knight to stop as well and turn to face the wise king. Leaning down, King Dorephan placed a large hand on the knight’s shoulder, which was difficult as he was much bigger than Brivere, and he practically had to kneel in order to accomplish this small gesture of comfort.

“My boy, remember how you said that you are trying to open up to me, both because of your father’s past friendship with me, and also because you see me as some kind of guardian?” the king said in a low, rumbling voice to Brivere, who bobbed his head up and down. “Then, are you comfortable enough to share what is troubling you?”

After a moment of silence, Brivere hesitantly nodded. The king smiled and patted the golden knight’s shoulder, his large fingers brushing against Prion’s choker before he straightened up. “In that case, shall we go to my room and discuss your worries in there?”

King Dorephan was surprised when the Oracle Knight vehemently shook his head. “I do not believe that is the best course of action, your majesty.” Brivere coughed, eyes wide in panic.

“How so?” the king asked, raising his brow.

Fidgeting with his hands, the golden knight shifted his weight between his feet, trying to explain the situation as best as he could. Finally, he sighed and looked up at the king. “Your majesty,” he said slowly, “Are you not aware of the rumors and slander surrounding me?”

Frowning, the king shook his head. “No, I am more than conscious of your situation, and I do apologize that you must go through all of it. But which rumor in particular are you referring to?”

After a moment of hesitation, Brivere spoke up. “…Many have accused me of being similar to a courtesan.” he said quietly. “That I have been using my body to gain power and status.”

King Dorephan stared back at the knight blankly, then quickly shook off his shock. “Yes, that subject has been discussed many times, but rest assured, I have tried to dismiss it as much as I could.” he grunted, looking over the knight with sorrowful, golden eyes. “Please, do not believe what they say, or let their words destroy your decades of hard work and accomplishments.

A rare smile came from the stoic Oracle Knight, albeit warily. “I know, your majesty.” Brivere weakly tittered. “However, I am more concerned about your reputation than mine. Surely, you must realize that it would look strange for someone like _me_ to enter the king’s chambers so late at night.”

“Oh, nonsense.” the king scoffed, flicking his hand in annoyance. “Your emotional well-being is much more important than the gossip of others at the moment.”

Brivere shook his head. “To be quite honest, your majesty, tarnishing your image would only add to my worries.”

Sighing, King Dorephan bobbed his head up and down, humming as he tried to think of a different place that the two of them could discuss the golden knight’s troubles in private. Glancing outside of the palace’s window, it hit him. “How about we go for a stroll in the palace gardens?”

He didn’t expect the golden knight to immediately recoil, as if hit by a shock arrow. “I-I apologize, your majesty, but I would much prefer not to.” Brivere said quickly. “Anywhere but the palace gardens, please.”

King Dorephan stared at the Oracle Knight in concern, sensing the alarm that he was failing to hide. There was definitely something more to it, but the king decided not to push any farther and risk Brivere closing himself off more than he already did. Nodding, the king looked around, trying to think of another secluded place for them to talk.

And when it hit him, the answer was so obvious that the king smacked his face with a large hand, groaning at his own idiocy.

Brivere jumped in surprise. “Your majesty, are you alright?!” he cried, rushing towards the king.

King Dorephan nodded and held his other hand up, stopping the worried knight in his tracks. “I am more than alright, my boy.” he said, straightening up. “There is somewhere I must take you.”

The Oracle Knight blankly stared back. “But your majesty, you said that I was to escort you to your room…”

Chuckling, the king nodded his head, walking in the opposite direction and forcing the confused knight to follow after him. “Oh, you will, but let us take a detour first.”

The two of them strolled through the palace halls in silence until the Oracle Knight hesitantly spoke up. “I apologize, your majesty, but may I ask where we are going?” he asked slowly, trying not to speak out of line.

Slightly turning his head to make eye contact with the golden knight, King Dorephan beamed at him. “We, my boy, are going to Prion’s hideout.”

;

Brivere stood in the entryway of the large room, gawking at every inch of its lavish interior. Multiple gigantic statues of unidentifiable Zora lined the walls, their spears held out and touching each other’s points high above the crystal clear pool in the center of the room. The ceiling was completely made of glass, and although they were far underground, moonlight flooded into the room from its clear surface. Gemstone made up the walls, broken in fractured pieces, creating a mosaic of blue that changed colors every time one shifted their head or the light struck it just a bit differently, as if the waves of the sea itself were surrounding them.

“Ah, it is just as I last left it.” the king said, smiling as he walked past Brivere to enter the room.

It was quite a difficult process to get here. Not only did the Oracle Knight and King Dorephan have to walk to the other side of the palace, but they had descended to one of its lowest levels, entering the winding maze of halls buried deep underground. Brivere had no idea what time it was, musing that the sun could have even risen at this point, but he couldn’t focus on his wandering thoughts when they came across a large underground lake that was nestled in a large, ornate room.

Before Brivere could ask the king about it, King Dorephan dove into the water, and the golden knight was forced to follow after him. The two Zora swam deeper and deeper into the dark waters until the king had abruptly pulled off to the side and darted into a gaping hole in the wall. Both of them resurfaced in an air bubble, where a decorated archway lay waiting for them, opening into the large room that Brivere found himself in now.

The king settled in the pool that lay in the center, gently gazing up at Brivere, who stood paralyzed in the entryway. “Come now, boy, you are more than welcome here.” he chuckled. “This is your father’s place, after all.”

Hesitantly, Brivere bobbed his head up and down. Although he had never even seen or heard of this place before, and although the cold gemstone room had clearly been mostly unoccupied for centuries, the room felt alive, it felt warm, it was as if it was welcoming the golden knight with open arms. The Oracle Knight snapped out of his apprehension, scurrying over to the edge of the pool and quickly sitting back on his knees. Although he was much closer to the older Zora now, Brivere still didn’t dare to share the same water as the king if he could help it.

“Is this truly my father’s hideout?” he asked quietly, examining the decorated room.

Nodding, the king chuckled. “Yes, Brivere. You see, I intended to bring you here sooner, but I only wished to when you felt comfortable enough around me.” he explained. “And I cannot think of a better place to lay your soul bare than your father’s favorite room.”

Brivere slightly nodded, but he clearly wasn’t ready to completely open up yet. Sensing this, the king leaned back, getting lost in the memories that Prion’s hideout held.

“Your father found this place purely by accident.” King Dorephan said fondly, his large form lightly bobbing in the clear water. “He claimed that he wanted to examine every inch of the palace so that he could better protect me by finding all of the places that possible enemies could hide in. But the excitement he tried, yet failed, to hold back made it abundantly clear that he was just genuinely curious.”

Smiling, the king closed his eyes. “This palace is ludicrously big. Anyone with functioning eyes can easily see that.” he explained in a rumbling voice, humor carried in its light tone. “Not only has it existed nearly as long as our people have, and have had many different sections added over time, but the architects apparently wanted to experiment with their creative ideas. The lower levels are more abandoned and some parts are unfinished because they serve no function other than for appearances sake. However, your father told me that he _still_ managed to explore every nook and cranny in this whole palace, and even the land surrounding it.”

Brivere stared at the room in awe as the king continued. “This hideout in particular was his favorite, because of how ridiculously difficult it was to get here in the first place.” King Dorephan softly chuckled. “It was also the only secluded place that my large form could fit into as well, and we often came here to escape the prying eyes of others, in order to confess the inner turmoil we were forced to conceal as two of the most powerful figures in the Zora Domain.”

“…Your majesty?” Brivere hesitantly asked, tearing his eyes away from the decorated room to finally focus on the king, who smiled back.

“Notice that this is called _Prion’s_ hideout, not the First Knight’s.” King Dorephan said fondly. “Here, I was not the king, and he was not my knight. We were simply two stressed out best friends who desperately needed a secluded place to vent our troubles.”

The golden knight gawked at the king. “…My father had such worries?”

“Of course! Both of us did.” King Dorephan scoffed. “His ability to see the future made him see every possible outcome, both good and bad. But he tended to focus on the bad, similar to his son.”

Brivere flushed as the king kept speaking. “And as for myself, I was in power during such troubling times, especially when the Calamity had first appeared. The two of us were constantly on edge, in fear of the worst, allowing our insecurities to build and fester inside of ourselves. We often came here to drink with and vent to each other in order to not go insane and continue our duty to our people.”

“B-but…” Brivere stammered, “You two are the most powerful and strong Zora that I know of!”

The king smiled. “I appreciate the compliment, Brivere, but true strength comes from acknowledging your troubles and weaknesses in order to move past them. And asking those you trust for help doing so… it only makes you a better Zora in the end.”

“…Such wise words, your majesty.” The golden knight chuckled.

King Dorephan beamed back at him. “Actually, credit lies with your father. When he had first brought me here, I had refused to open up to him, to admit my worst fears and insecurities, and he had said that exact statement to me.” he said, eyes softening at the mention of his old friend. “So if you cannot listen to my own words, I implore you to take your father’s advice.”

Brivere nodded, a long sigh escaping him as he sank deeper onto the floor, as if all of his apprehension had been carried away in his breath. Finally, he spoke up, albeit quietly. “It concerns my relationship with Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion.”

A sad chuckle escaped the old Zora’s lips. “They are your lovers, are they not, Brivere? Surely, you are more than welcome to call them by name." King Dorephan said gently, trying to coax a more casual side of the reserved knight out.

The golden knight froze, then suddenly placed his hands on the ground and bowed, dipping so low that his crest touched the gemstone floor. King Dorephan stared at the poor knight in a mix of confusion and pity, for the golden Zora looked like a sinner begging for mercy before Hylia herself. "I must apologize, your majesty." Brivere said quietly, not daring to look the king in the eyes. "But I must break the promise I made to you that first day we told you of our relationship."

The king said nothing, and Brivere quickly glanced up in fear of seeing disappointment and anger, but instead, found a gentle smile that encouraged him to continue. Which after a moment of hesitation, he did. "I must confess... if we had not run into each other earlier, I would have gone to my lord's room and break myself off of their relationship."

"I suspected so.” King Dorephan said, solemnly nodding. “And it is troubling that you phrase it as if you are just a parasite attached onto the side of _their_ love alone."

Brivere bitterly laughed. "Is that not what it is, your majesty?"

"Do you not feel loved by them, Brivere?" the king asked in a low voice.

Flinching, the golden knight immediately shook his head. "No, this is no fault on their part. The problem lies with me." he said quickly. "The two of them are such rare, precious people who have been more than enough for me, so fulfilling and sweet that it is almost unbearable."

“So then what is the problem?"

Brivere's mouth tightly shut, his tongue flicking inside of it in anxiety, unsure if even _he_ knew the answer to the king’s question. He felt guilty, he felt scared, he felt a flood of emotions that he never allowed himself to feel wash inside of him, threatening to drown him in unfamiliarity. How would his lovers- no, Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion, feel if they knew that he spilled his guts out to a man who could have prevented so much trauma in his past, rather than tell the two people who truly cared for him?

It would be nothing but utter betrayal and absolute weakness.

However, as Brivere's eyes wandered around Prions hideout, his heart softened. He remembered the king’s words from earlier, echoing his father’s advice, to be brave, to remember that true strength is admitting your fears so that one could overcome them with the help of others.

“…It just feels too good to be true.” Brivere weakly whimpered, forcing himself to hold eye contact with the king. “Their love, their support… I have never had something so genuinely comforting. And it feels selfish to indulge in such luxuries. Every second of every day, I am torturing myself by asking if I truly deserve any of it, and I live in constant fear that they will realize that I don’t. I am always in anticipation, just waiting for the other shoe to drop down any second.”

King Dorephan sadly stared down at the trembling Zora sitting just in front of him. He couldn’t help but blame himself for Brivere’s cruel mindset formed from over a century of trauma, for he could have prevented such tragedies from ever befalling onto Prion’s son if it weren’t for his own fears and inaction when he was first made aware of the boy’s existence. The king wanted nothing more than to beg for forgiveness, to place all of the blame onto himself, to apologize over and over again for causing such unforgivable, unrepairable pain upon the family of the man he called his closest friend.

But he couldn’t be so selfish, as he had already been so for too long now. This wasn’t about him, and if he truly wanted to make things up, then he would help heal this broken Zora before him. King Dorephan put a hand on Brivere’s arm, helping the poor boy straighten up into a proper sitting position.

“You know, Brivere,” King Dorephan said in a soft voice, gently squeezing the golden Zora’s arm, “That was such bravery that I have not seen since the last time I was here with your father. There is no shame in talking about your problems, or allowing yourself to feel and share your emotions.”

“…It is a rather foreign concept to me, but I am trying to learn it.” Brivere sighed, patting the king’s hand and gently pushing it off of himself. “I apologize for causing trouble and taking your time, your majesty.”

“No need to apologize, Brivere.” the king said, throwing away the golden knight’s worries with a flick of his hand. “After all, you are not the first one in your relationship to come to me about your problems.”

Brivere’s head snapped up, his eyes widening as he stared at the king. “…Your majesty?”

“A while after you three had confessed to me about your love triad, my son has been coming to me practically every other day, regretting “pressuring” the two of you into revealing the nature of your relationship to the whole domain. He blames himself for all of the vitriol that has happened.” King Dorephan explained, sorrow gleaming in his golden eyes. “Even Link, who I assumed was as closed off as you, had come to me several times, lamenting that there wasn’t much he can do to help or protect you and my son, as Link is not a Zora.”

“It was quite a process just to speak with you here at this very moment. Not to say that you are a burden, of course, I am more than happy to do it.” the king quickly assured. “But do you not think that it is troubling that we would not even be here if we hadn’t run into each other by sheer coincidence? And even then, I still had to coax it out of you, and even now, you still hesitate. Do you understand what I am saying, Brivere?”

“…You are saying that I am afraid to open up.” Brivere said slowly. “I apologize for any offense, your majesty, but I was already well aware of this.”

“Yes, but have you done anything to fix it?”

“…I apologize, your majesty?”

Sighing, the large king swam closer to the golden knight, submerging himself deep enough in the water for both of them to be at eye level. “It is my belief that you are simply afraid of this relationship with my son and Link.” King Dorephan explained in a low, rumbling voice. “Yes, there are many other reasons as well, but have you shared any of them with either of your lovers?”

“No, but I-!”

Brivere immediately silenced when the king slowly held his hand up, clearly meaning no ill will. “This is what I mean, Brivere.” the king said, a sorrowful smile on his worn features. “Relationships are all about opening up to one another, and I think that you have realized that they are not easy in the slightest. It can be extremely uncomfortable to lay your soul bare to another. Unfortunately, it is even worse in your case. Not only do you have two lovers, but you are so used to hiding your emotions away that you have not the slightest clue on how to open up. From my understanding, you only do so after pushing yourself to your limit, only letting others see your troubles after it has destroyed you completely.”

Leaning forward, King Dorephan squinted his eyes as he examined the golden Zora, who felt like the old king could see everything about him, inside and out, past, present, and future. And Brivere didn’t know why, but the mere thought completely terrified him.

“I say this in the best way possible.” the king said, breaking the tense silence that had overcome the two of them. “I believe you are frightened to show everything about yourself, afraid to become a burden, because you are scared that those you open up to will not like what they see behind that emotionless mask of yours.”

The king’s words struck a chord in Brivere’s heart, ringing so true that there was no way the golden knight could deny it. He numbly bobbed his head up and down, feeling as if King Dorephan had abruptly torn down decades old walls and barriers, stripping his very being bare until there was nothing left but a child cowering at the center of it all.

A child that was forced to grow up too fast, too soon, all on his own. Another form of the calamity that damaged everything he touched, a cursed Zora that unintentionally brought despair onto those around him.

Who could ever love such a helpless man like that?

...And did such a damned Zora even deserve such love anyways?

A knowing smile stretched across the king’s face as he gently patted Brivere on the shoulder, his large fingers lingering on his old friend’s choker. “I do apologize for suddenly coming forward with this, but I do believe that you needed to hear it.”

Brivere weakly shook his head. “No, I appreciate it, your majesty.” he said quietly.

“Good.” the king chuckled. “But I must say more, if it is fine with you.”

“Of course, your majesty.”

“You must think better of yourself, my boy.” King Dorephan said firmly, leaving no room for argument. “You are the Oracle Knight for Hylia’s sake. You are one of the best warriors in our domain and have proven it time and time again. You are so much like your father that I must have been blind for not seeing it sooner. And although you may not see it yourself, although you may not fully love yourself at this moment... you still deserve love from others.”

“Yet, relationships will not instantly fix everything.” he continued slowly, focusing on the golden knight sitting in front of him. “You cannot expect my son and Link to be miracle workers and suddenly undo years of trauma and malicious thoughts on your end. And as much love and support that they can give you, recovery must be an active effort on your part, as there are some things that only _you_ can do, Brivere. Essentially, you must help them help you.”

“Of course, that is not to say that you should drop your relationship with them altogether.” the king chuckled. “I encourage you to stay in your love triad if it is something you want, if it is something you can handle. Yet I cannot lie that their support is certainly healthier than if you were fighting alone. However, based on what my son had told me, your state of mind really began to improve when you opened up more. You gained friends and two lovers because they were drawn to the Brivere hiding behind the indifferent mask. So if you wish for true happiness and peace, I implore you to be brave, and do not fear laying your soul bare to others or asking for their help.

Silent tears trailed down Brivere’s cheeks, a foreign sensation to the reserved golden knight. Wiping at his face, he weakly laughed. “Such wise words sound quite familiar, your majesty.”

King Dorephan beamed back. “You are too observant for your own good, just like your father.” he chortled. “I must admit, that was the same advice that he had given to me when he had first brought me here, as I had told you earlier.”

“I _knew_ it sounded familiar, your majesty.” Brivere said, a teasing tone in his voice. A satisfied sigh escaped the golden knight’s lips, his whole body relaxing as he sank onto the gemstone floor, laying onto his back. “My father was a rather wise man, wasn’t he?”

King Dorephan hummed, turning to float on his back as he fondly stared up at the ceiling. How many times had he done that exact thing, but with his best friend bobbing in the water right next to him? “Absolutely, my boy.”

Both of them lay there in a comfortable silence for Hylia knows how long, looking at nothing in particular as their soft breaths matched up, eyes closed. Eventually, Brivere cleared his throat as he got up, standing on his feet and bowing to the king. “I do apologize, your majesty, but I do believe that I should escort you to your room already.”

“What did I say about admitting the truth of your feelings, my boy?” King Dorephan grumbled, not opening his eyes.

Brivere flushed. “…I would also like to see Prince Sidon and the Hylian Champion.”

“Brivere.”

“I apologize, your majesty. I would like to see my _lovers,_ Sidon and Link.”

King Dorephan chuckled. “Then you may be off, my boy. Do not worry about me, I will sleep here for tonight.”

“…I was technically put in charge of escorting you back to your room, your majesty.” Brivere said hesitantly. “It would look suspicious if you suddenly disappeared. And I must protect you as well, because-!”

“Oh, Brivere,” the king scoffed, gesturing at his large form before resting his arms at his sides. “I am literally bigger than everyone in the Zora Domain, and outside of it too, most likely. I will be fine.”

The Oracle Knight opened his mouth to protest, but quickly stopped when a fond smile came over the king’s face as he stared up at the ceiling. “And I would like to spend some time in such a memorable place where I used to spend hours with your father.” the king said in a voice barely above a whisper. “I have been so busy that I have not been here in forever. And now that I am… it feels impossible to leave my closest friend’s presence.”

Nodding, Brivere turned as if to leave, but instead awkwardly fidgeted in the doorway, glancing back into the room with a question that trembled on his lips. Humming, King Dorephan pretended not to notice, peacefully bobbing in the water as he waited for the golden knight to speak up. This was the first test to see if Brivere had truly taken his father’s advice to heart.

“…Your majesty?” Brivere asked slowly, fully turning to face the king.

The king smiled and opened one eye, glancing at the golden knight. “Yes, my boy?”

“About being able to ask for help…”

“You have no idea how to get back to the surface, do you, Brivere?”

Softly chuckling, the golden knight bobbed his head up and down. “I would deeply appreciate some directions. And I would also feel less worried if you were somewhere with more guards, rather than alone, deep underground, where no one knows where to find you should something happen.”

The old king hummed and tilted his head this way and that, as if debating if he should actually do anything, but eventually he heartily laughed and hoisted his large form out of the water and onto the edge of the pool. Once he was fully standing, King Dorephan completely towered over the Oracle Knight, but both of them managed to smile at each other anyways.

“Do not blame yourself, even I got lost whenever I came here the first couple of times.” the king confessed as he led Brivere out of the archway, preparing to go through the same complicated process they had done to get here, just in reverse. “However, your father came up with a rather clever song and pattern to remember exactly which hallways and turns to take. I shall teach it to you while we head back, so you know how to get here again in the future.”

Nodding, Brivere dove into the water, following after King Dorephan as they swam upwards. “I would deeply appreciate it, your majesty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> This should be the last for Trying To Tie Loose Ends, at least for now.  
> This was only supposed to be one chapter added onto Infatuation.  
> And whoops, it turned into 7 chapters cause i got carried away.  
> It's literally an AU, for an AU (Infatuation), for an AU (TTTLE), for another AU (Catharsis), for a really specific fanfiction (Coma Baby).  
> So for the niche group who reads this, thank you for reading! and i hope you enjoy  
> ;  
> Like i said in ch. 2, i fuckin love the idea of big supportive father dorephan.  
> I also like the idea of Brivere wanting to be like his father and wanting to know all information about Prion.  
> Cause I have a friend who lost her father before she was born, and she bonded with her father's best friend over his memory.  
> so it's nice!  
> also i feel like this is totally a fear Brivere has.  
> he has the mask to suppress his emotions, sure, but then what is hidden under there? it's repressed memories, trauma, a trembling child that was forced to grow up too fast, and he is unsure if anyone could ever love that.  
> anyways, the last chapter of this series may come a bit late. I was having a bit of motivation struggle for it, cause i was unsure how to properly end this, since it would technically be the end of TTTLE (at least, for now i guess lmao).


	7. Never Too Taboo For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a deep talk with King Dorephan that revealed the worst insecurities that Brivere never wanted to acknowledge, the Oracle Knight believes he is ready to actually put what he has learned to practice. But can he, Link, and Sidon truly take the lesson to heart and share what has been troubling them this whole time, or will their hesitance to be honest with each other drive them apart?
> 
> (A continuation of Infatuation, based on Coma Baby, but PLEASE READ END NOTES FOR MORE ABOUT THIS SERIES)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao. My beta reader @ipromiseitsnotanobsession on tumblr and ffnet gave me the title however, shoutout to alina you the bestttt

The Oracle Knight hesitantly stood in the entrance way of the prince’s quarters, not daring to even put the edge of one toe-claw past the invisible line that separated the sanctuary from the toxic world outside. He had already brought King Dorephan back to his quarters safely after the two of them had an extremely deep conversation, and despite coming away from the intense experience with a better understanding of himself and some of his father’s own advice, Brivere still found that it was a tough lesson to fully swallow.

It was ironic, or pathetic to him, really. He was the Oracle Knight, had fought against the best warriors in the domain to get to this position, had experienced countless, harsh battles, and essentially experienced every hardship and burden under the sun. And from it all, he emerged as a toughened Zora with an expressionless mask, unapproachable by anyone.

Yet there he was, paralyzed in the entryway of his prince’s room, too terrified to approach the bed with his own lovers peacefully sleeping on it. Perhaps he was petrified of disturbing their slumber and becoming more of a burden than he already was.

A slight growl rumbled in the golden knight’s broad chest. No. He was _not_ going to do this to himself again. Sure, perhaps it was nearly impossible and completely uncomfortable to undo years of an unforgiving, cruel perception of himself, but if it was for the sake of Link and Sidon, then he would be more than willing to do it.

Taking in a deep breath, Brivere forced his numb body to break past the invisible barrier he had made, staggering into the prince’s room towards the bed. However, he nearly fell over in shock when his lovers suddenly bolted upright and stared at him with wide eyes.

“It is just me.” the golden knight quickly assured, holding his hands up.

Link snorted. “Yeah, we know it’s you, asshole.”

“We were just waiting for you, that is all.” Sidon explained after elbowing the Hylian, who smirked and rolled his icy blue eyes right back at the prince. “Both of us could not really sleep, knowing that you were coming but becoming worried when it got very late.”

Brivere winced and glanced outside of the prince’s windows. His conversation with King Dorephan had apparently run for far too long, as the warm colors of sunrise was already peeking over the horizon. “I apologize, I was having a talk with your father… Sidon.” the golden knight said hesitantly, slightly cringing at how foreign the naked name felt on his tongue. Yet, it felt nice, and Brivere’s lips wished to feel it again.

Both of his lovers gawked at him, as the formal knight usually never said either of their names without their proper titles. Although it was becoming much more common than it used to be, it was still a shock to hear. Not to say that it wasn’t enjoyable, of course.

Snapping out of his surprise, Sidon beamed at the golden Zora. “I take it that the talk went well then?”

“Yes, Sidon.” Brivere chuckled, forcing himself to say his lover’s name more to become used to the strange sensation.

Link wiggled his eyebrows at Brivere, a satisfied grin on his face. “In that case, we’re happy.” he laughed. “It’s good you got it all out.”

“But, Brivere, if you do not mind us asking,” the prince said hesitantly, a weak grin stretching on his face. “What did you talk about? Only if you are comfortable sharing, of course.”

Humming, Brivere fondly gazed at his two lovers. “It is difficult to explain,” he began, “But I am more than willing to try and elaborate with you two.”

“However,” the golden Zora said, examining the prince’s large water bed with a frown. They have had so many talks on this bed, exposed their troubles here so often that it held a sort of depressing aura around it. “I do believe that a change of scenery would benefit us.”

Link raised his eyebrow, confused but willing to go with whatever his golden lover was planning. “Yeah, that’s fine with me.”

“Me as well. We have been just uselessly lying here for the past few hours as we waited for you.” Sidon chuckled. “Although, I must admit, even though we have gotten no sleep I am feeling quite restless.”

“Me too.” Link said, pinching the prince’s elbow before focusing back on Brivere. “You have any places to go in mind?”

The golden knight pursed his lips in thought, running through the palace’s layout for the best place to go. Prion’s hideout was too difficult to get to and he also wasn’t confident in his memorization of the pattern and song King Dorephan had taught him to remember the way. Besides, that sacred place felt more like something for Prion and the old king, but Brivere would definitely bring his lovers and his little brother down there some day.

Somewhere nice to absentmindedly walk, somewhere where no one would bother them, somewhere where they could just talk and be secluded by themselves…

And when it hit him, Brivere knew that is was the perfect place.

“Shall we take a stroll in the palace gardens?” he asked.

Link and Sidon froze, staring back at the golden knight in concern. “Are you sure, Brivere? We really don’t have to, this palace is very big with many places we can go.” the prince said hesitantly. All three of them knew the emotional weight that place held for the Oracle Knight, who usually avoided even _looking_ at the palace gardens as much as possible.

But to the golden Zora, it was the only place that made complete sense in this situation.

“I know that it is where such awful things happened, and is a source of pain and misery.” Brivere explained slowly, softly smiling back at is lovers. “However, that is why I wish to go, to rewrite such a horrid memory into a place where I got to spend time with the two people I love most.”

Gazing back in admiration and adoration, Link and Sidon nodded before rolling out of the prince’s waterbed and following the golden knight out of the room’s entryway. The three of them walked side by side, the Hylian squished between the two Zora. Brivere’s hand was instinctively locked into Link’s while Sidon’s arm was wrapped around the Hylian’s shoulders, his large hand occasionally brushing against the golden knight’s arm. A comfortable silence washed over all of them, and despite the sky becoming brighter and brighter with warm shades of red, orange, and yellow, not one of them felt tired in the slightest as they strolled through the palace’s long gemstone halls.

When they were near the palace’s gardens, Link and Sidon felt the golden Zora stiffen against them, his footsteps becoming more hesitant the closer they got. Eventually, the three of them stood under the archway that lead into where Brivere last saw Leuqas as a friend.

“We really don’t have to do this if you aren’t ready, Brivere.” Sidon said, unhooking his arm from around Link as he walked over to Brivere’s other side, placing the golden knight in-between his two lovers. Nodding in agreement, Link squeezed Brivere’s hand, which was still tightly clutched onto the Hylian’s.

A shaky sigh escaped the golden knight’s lips as he shook his head. Brivere had to clear his throat for his voice to come out. “No, this is for the best. If I cannot do it now, I do not believe I ever can.”

Link and Sidon both nodded their heads, each of them holding onto one of the golden knight’s slightly trembling hands. With a deep breath, Brivere plunged himself into the gardens, back into the horrid memories that it held.

But this time, he had help every step of the way, unlike the last time he was here, when none would ever come.

The three of them slowly walked through the gardens, Link and Sidon glancing at the golden knight every few seconds in concern. And he really appreciated it, but Brivere also couldn’t help but shrink back from their gaze, finding King Dorephan’s words to be true: he was deathly terrified that if his lovers looked close enough, they would see just how broken he truly was and realize that they deserved better.

A growl quietly rumbled in Brivere’s chest as he shook the intrusive thought off. “I believe it is best if we talk not only about what _I_ have discussed with King Dorephan, but what you both have said to him as well.” he began quietly, breaking the silence that had washed over the gardens. Brivere felt his lovers’ hands stiffen as they held onto his own, and he remembered that they didn’t necessarily know that he was aware of their secret meetings with King Dorephan.

“It is quite humorous, because we even promised to him that we would try and communicate with each other.” Brivere tittered, squeezing his lovers’ hands to reassure them that he wasn’t upset about the secrecy, making them sheepishly smile back. “If we truly have a problem with our relationship, even if it is not directly with each other, then it is best if we work it out amongst one another since _we_ are the ones involved in this love triad.”

“It’s funny that _you’re_ the one to say that.” Link snorted, making the two Zora with him roughly elbow the Hylian in the side. All of them burst out into low laughter, unable to stay mad at each other as they continued to stroll through the empty gardens, hand-in-hand.

Prince Sidon flashed his signature grin at his two lovers, his sharp teeth shining in the faint sunlight. “Shall we operate on the same rules as last time?” he chuckled. “When you speak, don't attack the other person's side. Talk for yourself, and only your feelings, so that we can understand your thought process. The other person can't interrupt either. Good?”

The other two nodded, but Brivere quickly spoke up. “That is perfect, but I would like for us to speak as we sit, so that we do not have to worry about where we are walking.”

“Yeah, sure, I’m kinda tired of walking around anyways.” Link yawned, covering his mouth with the hand that wasn’t locked onto Brivere’s. “The sun is already rising.”

The golden knight frowned. “I apologize, should we postpone this?”

“No, I can definitely handle it. I defeated the fucking _Calamity_ , for Hylia’s sake.” Link smirked, shrugging off the overprotective Zora’s worries. “Besides, this is an important talk that is long overdue from each of us.”

“I agree. I cannot think of a more perfect time than this.” Sidon said, squeezing Brivere’s hand. “Just lead the way, my sun.”

Nodding, the golden knight walked slightly ahead of his two lovers, gently pulling them along in the gardens that were perfectly lit in the soft, rising sunlight. Brivere mused that it was strange that the memory of the exact path and steps he had taken back then with Leuqas was permanently branded into his mind, despite how much he tried to scrub that night away from his golden scales and his consciousness. And although all three of them knew exactly where they were going, they were all silent when they eventually stood in apprehension in front of the gazebo.

The three of them continued to stand there, clutching onto each other’s hands, Sidon and Link waiting for the golden knight to be ready, who was trying to fight past the overwhelming thoughts forever tied to this place. But eventually, he took in a deep breath and pulled his lovers for all of them to sit on the long bench inside, resolving to at least _try_ to replace such horrid memories of the revolting nobleman with new ones of the two people he loved more than anything in Hyrule.

Brivere was sandwiched between his two lovers, tightly squeezed in-between them despite the extra room on the bench, Link on his right and Sidon on his left. However, unlike when something similar happened when he had last been here with Leuqas, their physical presence was welcome, even _desired_ by the golden Zora who just didn’t want to feel alone in such a terrible place.

They shifted so that Sidon’s arm was draped across Link and Brivere’s shoulders, the two of them still holding onto each other’s hands and resting them on the golden Zora’s lap. Both the prince and the Hylian leaned their heads onto Brivere’s body before all of them went perfectly still. But despite the more comfortable situation, they couldn’t help but awkwardly glance at one another, uncertain of who should start the conversation that they desperately needed to have.

Finally, Brivere spoke up, which was a surprise yet completely expected at the same time. He was the worst offender when it came to hiding his issues, but he was also the one who was always offering the best advice, doing his best to reassure his two lovers. “My talk with King Dorepan… I would say that I have learned a lot, particularly about myself and what it means to be in a relationship.” Brivere began slowly, glancing between his two lovers.

“It is difficult, but it is worth it. Anyone would become extremely uncomfortable when it comes to bearing ones soul to another, and in our case it is even worse. Not only is there three of us, but we have each had our own struggles and troubled pasts that make it extremely hard for us to share what is wrong.” the golden knight said, squeezing Link’s hand and patting Sidon’s leg. “But King Dorephan has told me some advice that my father bestowed upon him. And I feel that it not only applies to me, but all three of us.”

“If it is from your father, then it must be quite enlightening.” the prince chuckled into Brivere’s head tail.

“I would say so as well.” Brivere tittered, lightly tracing circles on the prince’s knee. “Basically, he had told the king that true strength comes from acknowledging your troubles and weaknesses in order to move past them. And asking those you trust for help doing so… it only makes you a better Zora in the end.”

The three of them sat in silence, letting the sagacious words properly sink in. Again, Brivere was the one to speak up, albeit more quietly, hesitance clear in his slightly trembling voice.

“I am afraid of how broken I am.” he said softly, eyes half lidded in sorrow. However, he put a hand up when his lovers immediately opened their mouths to object, reminding them of the agreement to share their feelings uninterrupted. “Of course, I do not expect you two to undo years of toxic thinking due to the trauma that I have suffered over my life. But I also cannot deny that both of you are healthier for me, and make me want to become a better Zora every day.”

“However, therein lies the problem.” Brivere explained. “I love both of you so much that I only want the best for each you. And I fear that I can never become the Zora that you two deserve, and that I will be forever cursed to be broken and destructive, a hollow shell that you two will eventually realize you don’t need to put up with.”

He didn’t realize that his grip had tightened on Link’s hand and Sidon’s knee until he had finished, out of fear that openly saying such things would make them recognize that it was all true. However, his fears were immediately crushed when the Hylian just squeezed back harder and the prince leaned more up against him.

Not wanting to force them into admitting their worries and insecurities, Brivere sat there in silence, allowing them to speak at their own pace. Only a few moments had passed until Sidon spoke up, which wasn’t a surprise, as he was the more emotionally vocal one of the three.

“I am afraid that I am just dragging you two along with me.” the prince said quietly, which was rare for his usually boisterous voice. “It has always been a concern of mine. We had only started this love triad in the first place because both of you were drawn to me, and I worried that you two had only agreed to the arrangement to please me. I know that you two had first fallen for me because I was the only one who truly showed you both true kindness and affection, and I didn’t want to abuse your love. And I would _never_ want to.”

Sighing, Sidon sank deeper into Brivere’s touch while tightening his grip on Link’s shoulder. “Perhaps I also feared that you two only love me because you didn’t want to lose your only source of positive attention. And that only made me more scared of accidentally taking advantage of your vulnerable states or being manipulative of both of you.”

The prince paused, gazing at his lovers with regret shining in his golden eyes. “When I recently realized that _I_ was the one who pushed for us to come out, despite your initial protests, I worried that I had pressured you two into doing something you weren’t comfortable with. I am constantly concerned that both of you are hesitant to speak out against me, both because of my status as prince and because I was the original source of positive attention for you two.”

Silence overcame the three of them as Sidon’s body stiffened in apprehension. However, the prince eased up as Link’s other hand patted his fingers, which were still tightly clutched onto the Hylian’s shoulder. The golden Zora pressed up against him also reassured the prince by slightly humming, and Sidon closed his eyes, enjoying the notes that vibrated in Brivere’s broad chest.

The two Zora glanced over at the Hylian still sitting next to the golden knight, all of them well aware that it was Link’s turn to speak. However, the Hylian was almost as bad as Brivere when it came to admitting his insecurities and fears, so it wasn’t a surprise when it took longer for him to gain the courage to do so.

None of them knew how much time it took for Link’s voice to break the silence that had washed over them, but it didn’t matter, as his lovers were patient enough to wait until the end of Hyrule for him. “I am afraid of being helpless, unable to protect you two.” Link coughed, clearing his throat to force the words stuck there to come out. “It feels pathetic to get hung up on that, but it’s true. I fought against the fucking Calamity for Hylia’s sake, so it feels like everyone expects me to be able to do anything. I _should_ be able to do anything.”

“But the reason I even fought it in the first place was mainly because of you two, the only people who truly treated me like Link, not just the Hylian Champion.” he continued, awkwardly grinning up at his Zora lovers. “I would do anything to protect that. So imagine how useless I feel _now_ , when I was able to fight a malicious, deadly beast that threatened all of Hyrule, but I can’t even protect both of you from all of this harsh, unfair social backlash. I’m not a Zora, and other than the honorary war hero status, I have _nothing_ that could help the two people I want to protect more than anything. And it feels absolutely infuriating and hopeless at the same time.”

The two Zora with him nodded, Brivere tightening his finger’s around the Hylian’s while Sidon pulled Link closer to them. They all awkwardly chuckled in low tones, uncomfortable with sharing such anxieties and weaknesses but relieved to have finally released all of the tension that had been building up for Hylia knows how long.

“Is this the part where we reassure one another and make up for hiding all of this for so long?” Sidon tittered, squeezing his lovers in a back breaking embrace.

“Only if you ease up, big guy.” Link wheezed as Brivere quickly nodded, making the prince laugh as he released them but still kept his arm wrapped around their shoulders.

Sidon and Link immediately turned to the golden knight, who flinched from the sudden attention. “We appreciate that you care for us so much, but you must really think better of yourself, my sun.” the prince chuckled, nuzzling his crest against Brivere’s. “Please, you must _never_ think that we are putting up with you. We are simply concerned over you because we love who you are so much, and we want you to become healthier not for _our_ sake but for _yours_.”

“You’re more than enough for us, asshole.” Link laughed, lightly punching the golden Zora with the hand that wasn’t clutched in Brivere’s. “You can’t control your past, but you _can_ control how you’ll grow in the future. And we don’t care how many times we have to be there to reassure you, or help you when you fall, but we _will_ every single goddamn time.”

The golden knight nodded in appreciation, blinking away the tears of relief and gratitude that beaded up in the corners of his eyes. He and Link eventually turned to the Zora prince, who sheepishly smiled back at them.

“It’s true that we first fell for you because you were the only good person in this otherwise shitty world.” the Hylian snorted, patting the large red hand that was still holding onto his shoulder. “But I- well Brivere too, don’t want you to think that we only love you because of that. Yeah, sure, that’s a big part of it, but that’s only because it’s who you _are_. Not to inflate your ego or anything, but you’re a genuinely caring guy, who is gentle, and overall just everything that we would ever want to love.”

Sidon chuckled at his Hylian lover’s words before turning to his other lover, who had a small, gentle smile on his face. “I agree with Link.” Brivere said, encouraging himself to say his lovers’ names more and more. “You could never take advantage of us, Sidon, because we have fully accepted that we want to be with you for who you are, not out of fear of losing the affection or for your status. And when we agree with you, it is only because you have a tendency to be quite convincing and passionate about your cause.”

“Not to say that we can’t disagree with you altogether.” Link tittered, smirking back at the prince. “Don’t doubt our ability to hold our ground. We just have confidence in your decisions and actions, that’s all.”

Humming in satisfaction, Sidon laughed, the tone so genuine and pleasant to hear that his lovers slightly melted at the sound of it. “I do believe it is your turn for our support, my love.” the prince chuckled, squeezing the Hylian’s arm, who nodded and hesitantly turned to face his Zora lovers.

“You are the bravest, most courageous, strongest person that we know, Link.” Brivere murmured into the Hylian’s hair, who shuddered from the golden Zora’s low, rumbling voice. “But you are not invincible. You are allowed to have your weaknesses. You claim to want to be treated as Link, yet you refuse to hold yourself any lower than the Hylian Champion.”

Nodding, Sidon took his hand off of Link’s shoulder and cupped the Hylian’s chin in his fingers, tilting Link’s face up so that they could hold gentle eye contact, icy blues captured by the prince’s honey gold gaze. “You are our hero, and we deeply appreciate all that you have done.” Sidon chuckled, letting go of Link’s face, yet the Hylian continued to stare back at him anyways. “So allow us to repay you by loving you, and reassuring you that you have been doing all you can and that is all we could ever asked for. _You_ are everything we could ever ask for. And no amount of social backlash, or harsh rumors, or pointed glares will _ever_ change our minds.”

“As long as you love us back, then we feel like the safest Zora in all of Hyrule.” Brivere tittered, all of them surprised at the sudden sappy, charming words, even himself.

Snapping out of his love-sick stupor, Link smirked at the golden Zora and elbowed him in the side without breaking their hand’s embrace, their fingers still tightly locked together. “Damn, never expected such a smooth recovery from the likes of you.” he teased, absolutely enjoying the way Brivere flushed, frowning as he tilted his head away.

That only made Link and Sidon laugh, and the Hylian bumped his head against Brivere’s, pressing a light kiss on the golden knight’s face, who pretended to still be upset but couldn’t hide the way the corners of his taut lips twitched up. “It’s okay, asshole. I love it about you.” Link chuckled against Brivere’s scales before pulling away and grinning at both of his Zora lovers. “So are we all good now? All done sucking each other’s dicks?”

The golden knight groaned and let go of Link’s hand, lightly shoving the Hylian away. “I would prefer if you would stop using such vulgar phrases from the Knight Captain, Betaal, but yes. I do believe we are good. And we should try and use such communication more often.”

“I agree.” Sidon laughed, roping Link back to Brivere’s side before taking his arm off of their shoulders. “On all of the things Brivere said, that is.”

The three of them sighed in contentment and sank back into comfortable silence, exhausted both physically and emotionally beyond relief. With bleary eyes, they quietly watched the sun rise higher and higher, painting the sky in glowing, warm hues of red, orange, and yellow. Perhaps Hylia herself was telling them that this was the mark of a new day, of a new step in their relationship, marking the sky with the colors of the three lovers.

Brivere snapped out of his daze when he felt a claw tap on his left shoulder, and he turned to see Sidon sheepishly grinning back at him. “Perhaps it is sappy of me, but I would like to kiss you and Link.” the prince said bluntly, laughing at his own awkwardness. “In celebration? Praise for our courage in bearing our souls to-?!”

“Sidon.” Link sighed, smiling back at the prince. “You don’t have to justify it. I’m cool with it, and I think it’s more than appropriate _any_ time, really.”

“Do not forget that we said that you do not have to be afraid of pressuring us.” Brivere tittered, tilting his head up to lightly press his lips against Sidon’s, soon pulling away with a soft _click_. He smiled back at the stunned prince with half-lidded eyes. “Especially if it is something we desire as well.”

Link laughed and leaned over the golden knight, hooking his fingers onto Sidon’s neck brace and pulling the prince into another kiss. The two of them chuckled against each other’s lips before leaning away from each other.

Brivere smiled back at his Hylian lover once Link settled back next to him. “Shall I award you for your courage as well, hero?” he tittered.

Rolling his eyes, the Hylian nodded. “Might as well make it even.” he grunted, tugging Brivere’s long fore fins and yanking the golden knight’s face to his. In Link’s haste, they roughly smacked against each other’s lips and bounced off of each other, yelping in pain before laughing and leaning back in for a proper kiss. They didn’t see Sidon roll his eyes as they pulled away, but afterwards they _did_ the prince’s signature grin stretched across his face at the ridiculous sight.

“Shall we head back to my quarters now?” Sidon chuckled, gesturing at the sun in front of them, which was much higher in the sky than when they had first come out. “I do believe that we were supposed to be asleep hours ago.”

“That’s Brivere’s fault.” Link yawned, snorting when the golden knight roughly elbowed him. “Can’t we just sleep out here?”

“I am afraid not. I would hate to be awakened by a rude palace guard.” Brivere sighed.

Huffing, the Hylian buried his face into the side of Brivere’s arm. “Fuck, it’s so far away though.” he groaned. “Twenty minutes.”

“Ten, Hylian Champion.”

“Only if you can actually say my name, asshole.”

Brivere grunted and moved the Hylian’s head into his lap, brushing his clawed fingers through the rough blond hair. “I apologize, Link. It is a bad habit.”

“Guess I can forgive you for then, Brivere.” Link grumbled back, nuzzling his head against the golden knight’s legs before going still within Brivere’s touch.

Sidon laughed and draped his arm around the golden knight’s shoulder, leaning against Brivere as he closed his eyes. “You two are ridiculous.” he yawned. “Brivere, may you wake us up after ten minutes?”

“Yes, my lor- Sidon.” Brivere said, quickly catching himself from using formal titles again. This earned a grateful nod from the prince as he quickly dozed off, sinking deeper against the golden knight’s broad frame.

Quite honestly, Brivere was exhausted as well, but he would rather be sleeping in the privacy of the prince’s quarters with his two lovers instead of being on display for whichever rude guard stumbled upon them. He could wait ten minutes, especially if it meant that his lovers would be comfortably leaning up against him the whole time.

Trying to keep himself from falling asleep, Brivere allowed his eyes to wander around, drinking in every wonderful moment of when the rest of the world didn’t seem to exist outside of the gazebo. Which now, by the way, wasn’t just an isolated, lonely place anymore, trapping every single horrible moment that had happened when he had last come here with a Zora he had once believed was a true friend.

Of course, that wasn’t to say that such memories had been immediately erased. Perhaps they would always be there, lurking in the back of his mind every now and then. However, Brivere was much more confident that he would be able to handle it from now on, and the gazebo was no longer the symbol of the night that his trust was completely violated.

No, as his lovers quietly slept against him, their physical presence promising to always be there, Brivere mused that the gazebo had been completely rewritten, dominated by the memory of this new day, this new step in their relationship.

And it just reminded him that it didn’t matter what everyone else said, because all he cared about was the napping Zora prince pressed against his side and the Hylian Champion peacefully sleeping on his lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> This should be the last for Trying To Tie Loose Ends, at least for now.  
> This was only supposed to be one chapter added onto Infatuation.  
> And whoops, it turned into 7 chapters cause i got carried away.  
> It's literally an AU, for an AU (Infatuation), for an AU (TTTLE), for another AU (Catharsis), for a really specific fanfiction (Coma Baby).  
> So for the niche group who reads this, thank you for reading! and i hope you enjoy  
> ;  
> For ch. 7 in particular:  
> lmao was this too cheesy or anything?  
> so much fuckin fluff at the end  
> i know that it's kinda out of character for brivere to be so casual and show emotions more, but i think over the events of TTTLE, infatuation, bonus chapters, etc. he has grown to this point. So im happy to end it all on that last note  
> I didnt want to make it all dialogue, but honestly it'd be hard not to, since the lesson was that they need to communicate with each other better.  
> anyways, what have yall thought of this series as a whole? not just the taboo series, but TTTLE and anything else? I'd really love to know, and thank you for sticking till the end!


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